南达科他州 (Nán Dá kē tā zhōu) — South Dakota (US state)

Definition

noun
South Dakota (US state)

Examples

  • 南达科他州。
    Wǒ qù nián xià tiān qù le Nán Dá kē tā zhōu lǚ yóu.
    I traveled to South Dakota last summer.
  • 南达科他州。
    Nán Dá kē tā zhōu Yǐ lā shí mò ěr shān wén míng yú shì.
    South Dakota is world-famous for Mount Rushmore.
  • 南达科他州。
    Tā de zǔ fù yì bǎi nián qián dìng jū zài Nán Dá kē tā zhōu.
    His great-grandfather settled in South Dakota a hundred years ago.

Origin

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 南 →

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
辶Written in full as辵chuò
Sound part声符shēngfú
大
大dà达dá
Same sound today

This form 达 pairs 辶 (written in full as 辵) with 大 as a sound component.

Open 达 →

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
斗斗dòumeasuring tool
Sound part声符shēngfú
禾
禾hé科kē
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

科 pairs 禾, which gives the hé sound, with 斗, a measuring tool.

Open 科 →

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
亻Written in full as人rénman
Sound part声符shēngfú
也
也yě他tā
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

他 combines 亻 (a person) with 也, which was chosen for its sound.

Open 他 →

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

州 originally drew an islet in a river.

Open 州 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.