家电
jiādiàn · HSK 6
appliance
🏠⚡ 家 (home) + 电 (electric) = home electric = household appliances
The compound breaks down literally: 家 means family or home, 电 means electricity. Together they cover everything plugged into a wall at home — fridges, washers, TVs, rice cookers.
家 — roof 宀 + pig 豕
Originally a pictograph of a pig under a roof, since domesticated pigs were kept in or under the home in ancient China. Over time the meaning broadened from 'household' to 'family,' and by extension 'home' or a specialist (as in 专家, 'expert').
电 — rain 雨 + lightning tail 电
Originally a pictograph of lightning streaking from a cloud, written 電 with the rain radical 雨 on top. The bottom 电 depicts the zigzag flash itself. The simplified form 电 drops 雨 and keeps just the lightning shape. Meaning extended from 'lightning' to 'electricity' in modern usage.