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太平洋 (Tài píng yáng) — Pacific Ocean

Definition

noun
Pacific Ocean

Examples

  • 太平洋。
    Tài píng yáng Shì shì jiè shàng zuì dà de hǎi yáng.
    The Pacific Ocean is the largest ocean in the world.
  • 太平洋。
    Hěn duō huò wù tōng guò Tài píng yáng yùn shū dào měi guó.
    Many goods are transported across the Pacific Ocean to the United States.
  • 太平洋。
    Tài píng yáng Fù jìn yǒu xǔ duō měi lì de dǎo yǔ.
    There are many beautiful islands near the Pacific Ocean.

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.

太平peaceful
太tàigreat平píngpeace
偏正Modifier + head
洋yángocean

The name 太平洋 joins 太 meaning great and 平 meaning peace with 洋 meaning ocean to picture a vast peaceful ocean.

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.

太 is a modified form of 大, with an extra dot added to show 'too big'.

Open 太 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

The origin is uncertain. One explanation combines 八 (division) and 亏 (exhaled air) to show smooth speech.

Open 平 →

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 →
Appears in
Geography & Landforms

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