对流层 (duì liú céng) — troposphere

Definition

The troposphere — the lowest layer of Earth's atmosphere, where weather occurs. It sits below the stratosphere (平流层).

noun
troposphere

Examples

  • 对流层。
    Fēi jī tōng cháng zài duì liú céng fēi xíng.
    Aircraft usually fly in the troposphere.
  • 对流层。
    duì liú céng De wēn dù suí gāo dù zēng jiā ér jiàng dī.
    The temperature in the troposphere decreases with altitude.
  • 对流层。
    Qì xiàng xué jiā yán jiū duì liú céng zhōng de tiān qì xiàn xiàng.
    Meteorologists study weather phenomena in the troposphere.

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.

对流convection
对duìopposite流liúflow
偏正Modifier + head
层cénglayer

对流 (convection) and 层 (layer) combine to name the troposphere.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 對; 对 is its simplified writing.

For the traditional form 對, the shape comes from an early drawing of 丵 (a digging tool), 土 (earth), and 又 (a hand); it may have meant developing land.

Open 对 →

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
水水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
㐬
㐬㐬流liú
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

流 has 水, water, and 㐬, which gives the sound. The water part matches meanings such as flow.

Open 流 →

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 層; 层 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
尸尸shī
Sound part声符shēngfú
曾
曾céng層céng
Same sound today

The traditional form 層 uses 尸 for the meaning and 曾 for the sound; the simplified 层 is a later abbreviation.

Open 层 →

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