电量不足
diànliàng bùzú
The English phrase 'low battery' is expressed in Chinese as 电量不足 (diànliàng bùzú).
电量不足 describes a state where a device's battery power is almost empty. It is the standard, formal way to express this state, as seen in system notifications on smartphones and computers.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 电量不足 is composed of 电量 (diànliàng), meaning 'battery power/capacity' and 不足 (bùzú), meaning 'insufficient' or 'not enough'.
Which one should you use?
电量不足 is the formal notification used by devices. In contrast, 没电了 (méi diàn le) is what people actually say in conversation to mean their device is dead or running out of power. For a middle ground, 电量低 (diànliàng dī) is a slightly more casual way to say 'low battery', literally 'battery power is low', while 电量不太足 is an informal way to say 'battery power is running low'.
How do you pronounce it?
diànliàng bùzú
Did you know?
- The character 电 (diàn) was originally a pictograph of a lightning bolt. Over time, it evolved to represent all things electrical, meaning the word for 'low battery' is rooted in the imagery of a storm.
- In digital slang, some young users use the concept of 电量 (diànliàng) to describe their own social or physical energy levels. Saying your own 'battery is low' is a common way to signal that you are socially exhausted.
- While 电量不足 refers to power, the word 电 (diàn) also means 'electricity' and 'lightning'. In casual speech, saying 没电了 (méi diàn le) can literally mean a building has had a power outage, not just that a phone is dead.
Examples in context
- 您好，我想请问一下，我的手机电量不足怎么办？Hello, may I ask what should I do about my phone's low battery?
- 嘿，手机马上就没电了，你有充电器吗？Hey, my phone is about to die. Do you have a charger?
- 手机显示电量不足。Shǒujī xiǎnshì diànliàng bùzú.The phone shows low battery.
- 由于电量不足，电脑自动关机了。Yóuyú diànliàng bùzú, diànnǎo zìdòng guānjī le.The computer shut down automatically due to low battery.
- 我的平板电脑电量不足，需要充电。Wǒ de píngbǎn diànnǎo diànliàng bùzú, xūyào chōngdiàn.My tablet has low battery and needs charging.
Example conversation
Jiayi and Haoran are in a cafe together.
- 佳怡 Jiayi浩然，我的手机电量不足了。Hàorán, wǒ de shǒujī diànliàng bùzú le.Haoran, my phone has a low battery.
- 浩然 Haoran你需要充电器吗？Nǐ xūyào chōngdiànqì ma?Do you need a charger?
- 佳怡 Jiayi是的，你有充电器吗？Shì de, nǐ yǒu chōngdiànqì ma?Yes, do you have one?
- 浩然 Haoran有，我借给你用。Yǒu, wǒ jiè gěi nǐ yòng.I do, I'll lend it to you.
