国境线 (guó jìng xiàn) — national boundary line; frontier line | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

national boundary linefrontier line

Measure word · 条

Examples

国境线。
Zhè tiáo guó jìng xiàn shì liǎng guó zhī jiān de zhèng shì fēn jiè xiàn.
This border line is the official dividing line between the two countries.
国境线。
Shì bīng měi tiān yán zhe guó jìng xiàn xún luó.
The soldiers patrol along the border line every day.
国境线。
guó jìng xiàn Liǎng cè de jū mín kě yǐ hù xiāng wǎng lái.
Residents on both sides of the border line can visit each other.

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.

国境national border

国guócountry境jìngborder

偏正Modifier + head

The 线 line marks the 国境 national border.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 國; 国 is its simplified writing.

囗或國

Meaning part形符xíngfú

囗囗wéiclosure

Sound part声符shēngfú

或

或huò國guó

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 國 uses 囗 to show closure and 或 to give the sound.

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

土竟境

Meaning part形符xíngfú

土土tǔearth

Sound part声符shēngfú

竟

竟jìng境jìng

Same sound today

境 pairs 土 (earth) with 竟, which gives the sound; the 土 part carries the meaning.

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 線; 线 is its simplified writing.

糹泉線

Meaning part形符xíngfú

糹Written in full as糸mì

Sound part声符shēngfú

泉

泉quán線xiàn

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

The traditional form 線 uses 糹 (silk/thread) to show the meaning and 泉 to suggest the sound; the simplified 线 is a later shorthand.

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