交通图 (jiāo tōng tú) — traffic map | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

traffic map

Measure word · 张

交通图。
Wǒ mǎi le yì zhāng xīn de jiāo tōng tú.
I bought a new traffic map.
交通图。
Zhè zhāng jiāo tōng tú shàng biāo chū le suǒ yǒu de gāo sù gōng lù.
This traffic map marks all the highways.
交通图。
Chū mén qián bié wàng le dài jiāo tōng tú.
Don't forget to bring a traffic map before going out.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

交通traffic

交jiāointersect通tōngpass through

联合Side by side

交通 means traffic, and 图 is a map, giving the sense of a traffic map.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

交 originally drew a human with crossed legs. In the modern shape, the upper part resembles a standing person.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

辶甬通

Meaning part形符xíngfú

辶Written in full as辵chuò

Sound part声符shēngfú

甬

甬yǒng通tōng

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

通 pairs 辶, a part associated with movement, with 甬, which gives the sound.

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 圖; 图 is its simplified writing.

囗啚圖

The traditional form 圖 pairs 囗, a walled city, with 啚, an early form meaning remote areas or territory. The simplified 图 is a later abbreviation.