后援 (hòu yuán) — backing, support, reinforcements

Definition

noun

backingsupportreinforcements

Examples

后援。
Tā men dé dào le hěn duō hòu yuán.
They received a lot of backing.
后援。
hòu yuán Bù duì yǐ jīng zài lù shang le.
The reinforcements are already on the way.
后援。
Zhè cì huó dòng xū yào gèng duō de hòu yuán.
This event needs more support.

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.

后hòurear

援yuánaid

“后” refers to the rear and “援” to aid, giving backup support.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 後; 后 is its simplified writing.

幺幺yāothread
夊夊suīfoot

The traditional form 後 showed 夊 (foot) bound by 幺 (thread), a foot caught by a rope and lagging behind; the simplified 后 is a later abbreviation, and 后 also has a different meaning.

Open 后 →

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

扌爰援

Meaning part形符xíngfú

扌Written in full as手shǒuhand

Sound part声符shēngfú

爰

爰yuán援yuán

Same sound today

In 援, the left 扌 (written fully as 手) is a hand, and the right 爰 tells you how it sounds.

Open 援 →

Appears in