哈雷彗星 (Hā léi huì xīng) — Halley's Comet

Definition

noun
Halley's Comet
Measure word · 颗

Examples

  • 哈雷彗星。
    Hā léi huì xīng Měi qī shí liù nián chū xiàn yí cì.
    Halley's Comet appears once every 76 years.
  • 哈雷彗星。
    Kē xué jiā yì zhí zài yán jiū Hā léi huì xīng de guǐ dào.
    Scientists have been studying the orbit of Halley's Comet.
  • 哈雷彗星。
    Hěn duō rén yòng wàng yuǎn jìng guān chá Hā léi huì xīng.
    Many people observe Halley's Comet with telescopes.

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.

哈雷
哈hā雷léi
彗星comet
彗huìcomet星xīngstar
偏正Modifier + head

哈雷 spells the foreign name Halley, and 彗星 is comet, so the word names Halley's comet.

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
口口kǒumouth
Sound part声符shēngfú
合
合hé哈hā
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

哈 uses 口 (mouth) to show a mouth-related idea, and 合 as a sound part. The shape of 合 may look like two open mouths, but that is likely by chance.

Open 哈 →

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
雨雨yǔrain
Sound part声符shēngfú
畾
畾léi雷léi
Same sound today

The top 雨 (rain) points to the meaning, and the bottom 畾 gives the sound.

Open 雷 →

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

彗 shows 又 (hand) holding 甡 (broom), a broom made of bamboo.

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

The top of 星 is a later simplified form of 晶, twinkling stars; the bottom 生 shows the sound.

Open 星 →

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