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头等舱 (tóu děng cāng) — first-class cabin (on a ship, plane, or train)

Definition

noun
first-class cabin (on a ship, plane, or train)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 头等舱。
    Tā mǎi le yì zhāng tóu děng cāng de jī piào.
    He bought a first-class ticket.
  • 头等舱。
    Zuò tóu děng cāng kě yǐ xiǎng shòu gèng hǎo de fú wù.
    Flying first class lets you enjoy better service.
  • ，头等舱。
    Zhè cì chū chāi, gōng sī gěi wǒ dìng le tóu děng cāng.
    For this business trip, the company booked me first class.

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.

头等first class
头tóufirst等děngclass
偏正Modifier + head
舱cāngcabin

头等 'first class' and 舱 'cabin' combine to mean a first-class cabin.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 頭; 头 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
頁頁yèhead
Sound part声符shēngfú
豆
豆dòu頭tóu
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 頭 shows 頁, meaning head, beside 豆 as a sound component; the simplified 头 is a later shorthand.

Open 头 →

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
竹竹zhúbamboo
Sound part声符shēngfú
寺
寺sì等děng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The top 竹 shows bamboo strips used for writing and sorting; the bottom 寺 once gave the sound, but now sounds different.

Open 等 →

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 艙; 舱 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
舟舟zhōuboat
Sound part声符shēngfú
倉
倉cāng艙cāng
Same sound today

The traditional form 艙 has 舟 (boat) and 倉, and 倉 is used for the sound. The simplified 舱 is a later shorthand.

Open 舱 →
Appears in
Air Travel

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