架 (jià): frame; rack; shelf

Meanings

1 frame; rack; shelf
2 measure word for planes, machines, etc.
3 to prop up; to support

Characters

架

jià

frame; rack; shelf; to support

Contains 木 (wood) + 加 (to add) — adding wood to build a frame.

Examples

一架飞机飞过来了。

Yī jià fēijī fēiguò lái le.

A plane flew over.

把书放在书架上。

Bǎ shū fàngzài shūjià shàng.

Put the books on the bookshelf.

这架钢琴很贵。

Zhè jià gāngqín hěn guì.

This piano is very expensive.

Tips

usage

As a measure word, 架 is used for machines and large instruments: 一架飞机 (a plane), 一架钢琴 (a piano), 一架照相机 (a camera).

Components

radical

木 mù

tree; wood

Bottom tree radical — the indexing component. Frames, racks, and shelves were originally wooden constructions. The 木 anchors 架 in the wooden-implement family with 板 (plank), 椅 (chair), 桌 (table), 桥 (bridge). The measure-word usage (a 架 plane, a 架 piano) extends from the frame meaning.

phonetic

加 jiā

to add

Top 加 supplies the sound directly (jiā → jià, only tone differs) and a faint semantic flavor of stacking/adding-onto — fitting for a frame or rack where pieces are added to support a load. Phonetic family: 嘉 (excellent), 驾 (drive), 茄 (eggplant), 枷 (cangue).