hàodiàn: 耗电 - to consume electricity, power-hungry

• Keywords: haodian, 耗电, consume electricity Chinese, power consumption Chinese, power-hungry in Chinese, save electricity in Chinese, battery drain Chinese, what does haodian mean, HSK 5 Chinese word
• Summary: Learn the essential Chinese word 耗电 (hàodiàn), which means “to consume electricity.” This practical term is frequently used as a verb or adjective to describe devices that are “power-hungry” or drain the battery quickly. Understanding 耗电 is crucial for everyday conversations in modern China, from discussing smartphone battery life and energy bills to choosing energy-efficient appliances.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): hàodiàn
• Part of Speech: Verb, Adjective
• HSK Level: HSK 5
• Concise Definition: To consume electrical power; (of a device) energy-consuming or power-hungry.
• In a Nutshell: 耗电 (hàodiàn) is a straightforward and highly useful word that literally combines “consume” (耗) and “electricity” (电). You use it to talk about how much power an electronic device uses. If your phone battery dies quickly, you'd say it's very `耗电`. While the term is neutral, it often carries a slightly negative connotation, implying that a device uses an excessive or undesirable amount of power.

• 耗 (hào): This character means to consume, to expend, or to use up. It's composed of the radical 耒 (lěi), which relates to a plow or farming tool, and 毛 (máo), which acts as the phonetic component. The image is of expending energy and resources, like a farmer working the fields.
• 电 (diàn): This character means electricity. Its modern form evolved from a pictogram showing lightning (申) under a rain cloud (雨), representing a powerful, natural electrical force.
• The two characters combine logically and transparently: 耗 (consume) + 电 (electricity) = 耗电 (to consume electricity).

While “power consumption” is a universal concept, the term 耗电 (hàodiàn) is particularly prominent in modern Chinese society due to a strong cultural and governmental focus on 节能 (jiénéng) - energy conservation. With its massive population and rapid industrialization, China places a high priority on energy efficiency. This isn't just a matter of saving money on the electric bill; it's a widely discussed social goal. In the West, a device being “power-hungry” is a personal inconvenience or a feature to compare. In China, describing something as `太耗电了` (tài hàodiàn le - “too power-consuming”) taps into a broader collective awareness about resource management and sustainability. You will see energy efficiency ratings prominently displayed on all appliances, and “low power consumption” (低功耗, dī gōnghào) is a major selling point for everything from smartphones to air conditioners.

耗电 is an everyday term used by people of all ages.

• In Daily Conversation: It's most commonly heard when people complain about their electronics. “My new phone is great, but it's a bit `耗电`.” Or, “Don't leave that light on, it's `耗电`.”
• Product Reviews and Tech: When buying electronics, you'll constantly encounter this term. Online reviews will praise a device for being `省电` (shěngdiàn - power-saving) or criticize it for being `耗电`.
• As a Verb vs. Adjective:
  • Verb: 这个软件很耗电。 (Zhège ruǎnjiàn hěn hàodiàn.) - This software consumes a lot of power.
  • Adjective: 这是一个很耗电的软件。 (Zhè shì yí ge hěn hàodiàn de ruǎnjiàn.) - This is a very power-hungry piece of software.
  • In practice, the first (verb-like) structure is far more common in casual speech.

• Example 1:
  • 我的旧手机太耗电了，一天要充两次电。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ de jiù shǒujī tài hàodiàn le, yì tiān yào chōng liǎng cì diàn.
  • English: My old phone is too power-hungry; I have to charge it twice a day.
  • Analysis: This is a classic complaint and a perfect example of how `耗电` is used to describe a device's poor performance.
• Example 2:
  • 你觉得开着空调睡觉会不会很耗电？
  • Pinyin: Nǐ juéde kāizhe kōngtiáo shuìjiào huì bu huì hěn hàodiàn?
  • English: Do you think sleeping with the air conditioner on will consume a lot of electricity?
  • Analysis: Here, `耗电` is used in a question to inquire about the energy consumption of an action.
• Example 3:
  • 这款笔记本电脑的优点之一就是不怎么耗电。
  • Pinyin: Zhè kuǎn bǐjìběn diànnǎo de yōudiǎn zhī yī jiùshì bù zěnme hàodiàn.
  • English: One of the advantages of this laptop is that it doesn't consume much power.
  • Analysis: This sentence uses the negative form `不怎么耗电` (bù zěnme hàodiàn) as a selling point.
• Example 4:
  • 屏幕亮度调到最高是最耗电的。
  • Pinyin: Píngmù liàngdù tiáo dào zuì gāo shì zuì hàodiàn de.
  • English: Adjusting the screen brightness to the maximum is what consumes the most power.
  • Analysis: This example uses `最` (zuì) to express the superlative “most power-consuming.”
• Example 5:
  • 电动汽车的耗电情况跟驾驶习惯有很大关系。
  • Pinyin: Diàndòng qìchē de hàodiàn qíngkuàng gēn jiàshǐ xíguàn yǒu hěn dà guānxi.
  • English: The power consumption of an electric car has a lot to do with driving habits.
  • Analysis: This shows `耗电` used as part of a compound noun, `耗电情况` (hàodiàn qíngkuàng), meaning “power consumption situation/status.”
• Example 6:
  • 为了省电，我把不用的App都关了，但还是觉得很耗电。
  • Pinyin: Wèile shěngdiàn, wǒ bǎ bú yòng de App dōu guān le, dàn háishì juéde hěn hàodiàn.
  • English: In order to save power, I closed all the apps I wasn't using, but I still feel it drains the battery a lot.
  • Analysis: This sentence contrasts the goal (`省电` - save power) with the frustrating reality (`耗电`).
• Example 7:
  • 和旧冰箱比起来，这个新型号的耗电量少了一半。
  • Pinyin: Hé jiù bīngxiāng bǐ qǐlái, zhège xīn xínghào de hàodiànliàng shǎo le yí bàn.
  • English: Compared to the old refrigerator, this new model's power consumption is 50% less.
  • Analysis: `耗电量` (hàodiànliàng) is a more technical noun meaning “amount of power consumption.”
• Example 8:
  • 听说这个系统更新修复了异常耗电的问题。
  • Pinyin: Tīngshuō zhège xìtǒng gēngxīn xiūfù le yìcháng hàodiàn de wèntí.
  • English: I heard this system update fixed the abnormal battery drain issue.
  • Analysis: `异常耗电` (yìcháng hàodiàn) means “abnormal power consumption” and is a common term in tech support and software updates.
• Example 9:
  • 这种老式的白炽灯泡比LED灯耗电得多。
  • Pinyin: Zhè zhǒng lǎoshì de báichì dēngpào bǐ LED dēng hàodiàn de duō.
  • English: This kind of old-fashioned incandescent light bulb consumes much more power than an LED light.
  • Analysis: A simple comparative sentence using `比…得多` (bǐ… de duō) to contrast the power consumption of two items.
• Example 10:
  • 这个游戏画面很好，就是有点儿耗电。
  • Pinyin: Zhège yóuxì huàmiàn hěn hǎo, jiùshì yǒudiǎnr hàodiàn.
  • English: The graphics in this game are great, it's just a little bit power-hungry.
  • Analysis: `有点儿` (yǒudiǎnr) softens the negative connotation, indicating a minor drawback.

• 耗电 (hàodiàn) vs. 用电 (yòngdiàn): This is a key distinction. `用电 (yòngdiàn)` is a neutral term meaning “to use electricity.” Every household has to `用电`. `耗电`, however, often implies a large or excessive amount of consumption. You might say “我们家这个月用了很多电” (Wǒmen jiā zhège yuè yòng le hěn duō diàn - Our family used a lot of electricity this month), which is a neutral statement of fact. But if you say “我们的空调太耗电了” (Wǒmen de kōngtiáo tài hàodiàn le - Our air conditioner is too power-hungry), you are complaining.
• Specificity to Electricity: 耗电 is only for electricity. A common mistake for learners is to apply the `耗` (hào) logic too broadly. For a car that uses a lot of gasoline, you cannot say it's `耗电`. The correct term is 耗油 (hàoyóu) - “to consume oil/gas.”
  • Incorrect: 这辆汽车很耗电。 (Zhè liàng qìchē hěn hàodiàn.)
  • Correct: 这辆汽车很耗油。 (Zhè liàng qìchē hěn hàoyóu.)

• 省电 (shěngdiàn) - To save electricity; power-saving. This is the direct antonym of `耗电`.
• 费电 (fèidiàn) - To be costly in electricity; a very common and slightly more colloquial synonym for `耗电`.
• 用电 (yòngdiàn) - To use electricity. The general, neutral verb.
• 节能 (jiénéng) - To conserve energy. A broader, more formal term that includes saving electricity, water, gas, etc.
• 功耗 (gōnghào) - Power consumption. A more technical and formal noun used in product specifications.
• 耗油 (hàoyóu) - To consume gasoline; gas-guzzling. A parallel concept for vehicles.
• 电量 (diànliàng) - Amount of electricity, often used to refer to a battery's charge level (e.g., “my battery is at 20%”).
• 充电 (chōngdiàn) - To charge (a battery).
• 待机 (dàijī) - Standby mode. You might talk about `待机耗电` (dàijī hàodiàn) - standby power consumption.