电脑
computer
diànnǎo
What does 电脑 mean?
电脑 (diànnǎo) is the everyday Chinese word for 'computer,' literally 'electric brain' (电 'electric' + 脑 'brain'). It covers both desktop and laptop machines in conversation; if you need to be specific, 笔记本电脑 (bǐjìběn diànnǎo) is 'notebook/laptop' and 台式电脑 (táishì diànnǎo) is 'desktop.' The more technical term 计算机 (jìsuànjī, 'calculating machine') is used in academic, IT-industry, and computer-science contexts — a CS major studies 计算机, but they use a 电脑 at home.
The measure word is 台 (一台电脑 'one computer'). 电脑 is also the base for compounds like 玩电脑 (play on the computer), 修电脑 (repair a computer), and 电脑游戏 (computer game).
Character breakdown
electricity; electric
brain
Memory hook: 电脑 = 'electric brain' — Chinese named computers after what they are, not what they do.
Measure word for 电脑
Example sentences
我有一台电脑。
Wǒ yǒu yì tái diànnǎo.
I have a computer.
neutral
我的电脑很新。
Wǒ de diànnǎo hěn xīn.
My computer is very new.
spoken
他在用电脑工作。
Tā zài yòng diànnǎo gōngzuò.
He is working on the computer.
neutral
我想买一台笔记本电脑。
Wǒ xiǎng mǎi yì tái bǐjìběn diànnǎo.
I want to buy a laptop.
spoken
Common phrases with 电脑
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电脑 appears in 2 podcast episodes at natural native speed, with full Chinese script, pinyin, and line-by-line English translation.
Synonyms
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FAQ
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