导游 (dǎo yóu) — (noun) tour guide; (verb) to guide (tourists),…

Definition

导游 is specifically a paid tour guide (a person) or to guide a tour group. 向导 is a general leader/pathfinder, often outdoors; 指南 is a written guidebook.

noun

tour guide

verb

to guide (tourists)to conduct a tour

Measure word · 个

Examples

导游。
Wǒ men qǐng le yí wèi dǎo yóu.
We hired a tour guide.
导游。
Tā dǎo yóu wǒ men cān guān le gù gōng.
He guided us on a tour of the Forbidden City.
导游。
Nà wèi dǎo yóu jiè shào dé hěn qīng chǔ.
That tour guide's introduction was very clear.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

导dǎoguide

游yóutravel

导 means to guide and 游 points to travel; together they mean one who guides a tour.

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 導; 导 is its simplified writing.

道寸導

Meaning part形符xíngfú

寸寸cùnhand

Sound part声符shēngfú

道

道dào導

Same sound today

The traditional form 導 pairs 道 (path) as the sound part with 寸 (hand), giving the sense of leading someone. The simplified 导 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the historical components.

Open 导 →

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

斿

斿yóu游yóu

Same sound today

游 combines 水 (water) with 斿, which gives the sound yóu and also relates to travelling.

Open 游 →

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 4 HSK 2.0 Level 4 Professions & Jobs Travel & Tourism