印度洋 (Yìn dù yáng) — Indian Ocean

Definition

noun
Indian Ocean

Examples

  • 印度洋。
    Yìn dù yáng Shì shì jiè shàng dì sān dà de hǎi yáng.
    The Indian Ocean is the third largest ocean in the world.
  • 印度洋。
    Zhè sōu chuán jiāng héng dù Yìn dù yáng.
    This ship will cross the Indian Ocean.
  • 印度洋。
    Yìn dù yáng De yú yè zī yuán fēi cháng fēng fù.
    The Indian Ocean has very abundant fishery resources.

Origin

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.

印度India
印yìn度dù
洋yángocean

印度 names India, and 洋 means ocean, giving the Indian Ocean.

Characters in this word

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

  • 爪爪zhuǎhand
  • 卩卩jiékneeling person

印 pairs 爪 (hand) with 卩 (kneeling person), showing a hand pressing down on a kneeling person.

Open 印 →

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
又又yòuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
石
石shí度dù
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

度 has 又 (hand) and a changed form of 石; 石 gives a related sound, and the hand is tied to using the hand as a reference for measurement.

Open 度 →

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
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
羊
羊yáng洋yáng
Same sound today

洋 pairs 氵, the water part, with 羊 to give its sound.

Open 洋 →

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