电视台
diànshìtái · HSK 3
television station
📺 电视台 = electric (电) + watch/view (视) + platform/station (台)
电 means electric, 视 means to view or watch, and 台 means platform or station. Together they form the place that broadcasts what you watch electrically — a TV station.
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.
台 — mouth 口 + 厶 (private)
Originally depicted a raised platform or terrace, suggesting elevation and a place to stand. The character later extended to mean stage, podium, or station. In modern usage it also serves as the simplified form of 臺 (platform) and 颱 (typhoon), and names Taiwan (台灣).