天龙 (tiān lóng) — (mythology) heavenly dragon; (astronomy) Draco…

Definition

noun

(mythology) heavenly dragon(astronomy) Draco (constellation)

Measure word · 条

，天龙。
Chuán shuō zhōng, tiān lóng shì shǒu hù tiān gōng de shèng wù.
In legend, the heavenly dragon is a sacred beast guarding the heavenly palace.
天龙。
Kē xué jiā zài guān chá tiān lóng xīng zuò de yùn dòng.
Scientists are observing the movement of the Draco constellation.
天龙。
Xiǎo shuō lǐ de tiān lóng yōng yǒu wú qióng de lì liàng.
The heavenly dragon in the novel possesses infinite power.

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.

The ideas of 天 as heaven and 龙 as dragon give a heavenly dragon or the constellation.

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

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.

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 龍; 龙 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 龍 originally drew a sacred creature with a large mouth and a snake-like body; the simplified 龙 is the form written here.

Appears in