TongTong
Sign in

大洋洲 (dà yáng zhōu) — Oceania

Definition

The proper name for the continent of Oceania (Australia, New Zealand, Pacific islands). Don't confuse with 海洋 (the ocean itself, the body of water).

noun
Oceania

Examples

  • 大洋洲。
    Wǒ péng you zài dà yáng zhōu xué xí.
    My friend is studying in Oceania.
  • 大洋洲。
    dà yáng zhōu Zài nán bàn qiú.
    Oceania is in the Southern Hemisphere.
  • 大洋洲。
    dà yáng zhōu De tiān qì hěn wēn nuǎn.
    The weather in Oceania is very warm.

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.

大洋great ocean
大dàgreat洋yángocean
偏正Modifier + head
洲zhōucontinent

大 'great' and 洋 'ocean' form 大洋 'great ocean', which names the 洲 'continent'.

Characters in this word

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

The form 大 is a picture of a person standing and facing forward, not of someone stretching their arms.

Open 大 →

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 →

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
水水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
州
州zhōu洲zhōu
Same sound today

洲 is built from 水 (water) and 州, which gives the sound.

Open 洲 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 6Geography & Landforms

Browse more HSK 6 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.