天际 (tiān jì) — horizon; the distant sky; skyline | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

horizonthe distant skyskyline

Examples

天际，。
Xī yáng huǎn huǎn chén rù tiān jì, rǎn hóng le zhěng piàn tiān kōng.
The setting sun slowly sank into the horizon, dyeing the entire sky red.
，天际。
Zhàn zài shān dǐng wàng qù, tiān jì yǔ dà dì lián chéng yī xiàn.
Standing on the mountaintop, the horizon and the earth merge into one line.
，天际。
Fēi jī chuān guò yún céng, tiān jì de jǐng sè lìng rén jīng tàn.
The plane passed through the clouds, and the view of the distant sky was breathtaking.

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 names the sky, and 际 its far edge or boundary.

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

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.

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 際; 际 is its simplified writing.

阝祭際

Meaning part形符xíngfú

阝Written in full as阜fù

Sound part声符shēngfú

祭

祭jì際⁰jì

Same sound today

The traditional form 際 pairs 阝 with 祭: 阝 gives the meaning and 祭 gives the sound. The simplified 际 is a later shorthand.

Appears in

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