弹道导弹 (dàn dào dǎo dàn) — ballistic missile

Definition

noun

ballistic missile

Measure word · 枚

Examples

弹道导弹。
Nà méi dàn dào dǎo dàn fēi dé fēi cháng kuài.
That ballistic missile flies very fast.
弹道导弹，。
dàn dào dǎo dàn De guǐ jì hěn gāo, kě yǐ dǎ dào hěn yuǎn de dì fāng.
The trajectory of a ballistic missile is very high, so it can reach very far places.
弹道导弹。
Zhè ge guó jiā chéng gōng shì shè le yì méi xīn xíng dàn dào dǎo dàn.
This country successfully test-launched a new type of ballistic missile.

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.

弹道projectile path

弹tánprojectile道dàopath

偏正Modifier + head

导弹guided missile

导dǎoguide弹tánmissile

偏正Modifier + head

弹道 means projectile path and 导弹 means guided missile; together they name a missile following a ballistic path.

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 彈; 弹 is its simplified writing.

弓單彈

Meaning part形符xíngfú

弓弓gōng

Sound part声符shēngfú

單

單dān彈tán

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 彈 pairs 弓 (bow) with the sound part 單; the simplified 弹 is a shorthand.

Open 弹 →

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

行行xíngstreet

止止zhǐfoot

Sound part声符shēngfú

𩠐

首shǒu道dào

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

Early 道 showed a street 行, a foot 止, and a part written 首 or 𩠐; the right part of 行 later disappeared.

Open 道 →

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 彈; 弹 is its simplified writing.

弓單彈

Meaning part形符xíngfú

弓弓gōng

Sound part声符shēngfú

單

單dān彈tán

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 彈 pairs 弓 (bow) with the sound part 單; the simplified 弹 is a shorthand.

Open 弹 →