Does Chinese distinguish between electrical and electronic?

[Scoobyqueen]

I am having a hard time finding the distinction between electronics

[DrWatson]

In professional literature and job descriptions, I have seen 電子 used for both "electronic" and "electrical". I usually have to look to the noun following 電子 to make a distinction.

[Scoobyqueen]

Thanks DrWatson - That also ties in with my observation. I am then still stuck with my sentence. I think I am going to say software-driven or something like that to make it specific.

[陳德聰]

I'm confused, you said electronics e.g. semi-conductors (hardware) and then you said you might switch to software-driven to be more specific? What kind of electronics are you talking about? I have found electronics is a vague word in English too.

[Scoobyqueen]

In saying "semiconductors" I was definining what makes electronics different from electrical systems (as they do not seem to have this distinction in Chinese). For my examples I am talking about software/micro processers (which is a sub-set of semiconductors which is one definition in the broader sense), ie since the word for electronics may not exist as such, I am having to qualify the 電子 with "software driven" IF indeed 電子 can refer to both electrical and electronics . Otherwise it would be better for me to have a generic term for electronics.

[li3wei1]

how about 电脑？

[Scoobyqueen]

Liwei - Thanks for the tip but that is not quite what I am looking for. 电脑 generally means a computer ie laptop or a work station. I am looking for the generic term for electronics that covers such things as a dvd player, a house-heating controller or an ECU in a car.

I will come back with my chosen description after I have spoken to an expert in China just as an update.

[anonymoose]

电子技术？

[陳德聰]

I'm not an expert in electronics but isn't what you're talking about called 电子产品 in the generic sense?

[li3wei1]

数据处理

信息技术

I'm just guessing here, no idea how these would work.

[Michaelyus]

电子 is etymologically connected to "electronic", but has become the default term. 电动, 电机 and 电力 have been used to distinguish "electrical" from 电子, but as far as I can discern, usage is hazy at best (I know that "electronic" came after "electrical" in the scientific world, and that the field of "electronics" as an applied science was defined in relation to "electrical" applications in general - I get the feeling that it wasn't so in Chinese). I think a good deal of rephrasing is probably the most suitable approach.

For what it's worth, the usual equivalent of "electrical engineering" is 电机工程 (see the Chinese Society for Electrical Engineering), whereas "electronic engineering" is 电子工程 (see the Chinese Institute of Electronics).

[Scoobyqueen]

Michaelyus - Your explanation is very helpful. Thanks.

I have decided to use (先进的)电子系统

[lingo-ling]

There's a distinction between 電機工程學 (electrical engineering) and 電子工程學 (electronic engineering), though the two fields have some overlapping areas.

[Zhao Hanqing]

electrical means dian de and electronic means dianzi de. they are different. we say dianxian electrical wires , and dianzi jisuanji for computer.