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天线 (tiān xiàn) — antenna; aerial; mast; (figurative) connections with high-ranking officials; inside information

Definition

Literally 'sky-line,' 天线 is an antenna for receiving TV or radio signals. Figuratively, having 'an antenna' at work means having insider connections to get information first.

noun
antennaaerialmast(figurative) connections with high-ranking officialsinside information
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 天线，。
    Diàn shì de tiān xiàn huài le, xìn hào bù hǎo.
    The TV antenna is broken, the signal is bad.
  • 天线，。
    Tā zài gōng sī yǒu tiān xiàn, zǒng shì xiān zhī dào xiāo xi.
    He has connections at the company, always knows the news first.
  • 天线。
    Wū dǐng shàng de tiān xiàn bèi fēng chuī dǎo le.
    The antenna on the roof was blown down by the wind.

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.

天tiānsky
线xiànwire

天 (sky) and 线 (wire) together picture a wire reaching toward the sky.

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
大大dà
Sound part声符shēngfú
丁
丁dīng天tiān
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The shape comes from a frontal standing man 大 with a head; 天 pairs 大 with 丁 for sound.

Open 天 →

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.

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.

Open 线 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Phones & Telecom

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