划桨 (huá jiǎng) — to paddle (a boat), to row | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

A specific verb for propelling a boat with an oar or paddle. Distinct from the general 划 (huá) 'to row/paddle' — here 桨 names the tool.

verb

to paddle (a boat)to row

Examples

划桨。
Wǒ men yì qǐ huá jiǎng ba.
Let's paddle together.
，。
Tā huà le yí gè xiǎo shí de jiǎng, shǒu dōu suān le.
He rowed for an hour, and his hands are sore.
划桨？
Nǐ zěn me bú huá jiǎng le?
Why aren't you paddling anymore?

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

划 means paddle and 桨 means oar, so 划桨 is paddling with an oar.

Characters in this word

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

戈

戈gē划huá

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

划 is made of 刀, a knife, and 戈, a weapon. The 戈 part gives the sound.

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Appears in

Boats & Water Travel

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