扬帆 (yáng fān) — to set sail | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Literary/written verb for 'to set sail,' almost always about ships. 比起航 more bookish; 图为 figurative use in the second example means launching a venture or career.

verb

to set sail

Examples

扬帆。
Míng tiān zǎo shàng wǒ men yáng fān chū hǎi.
We'll set sail tomorrow morning.
，扬帆。
Jīng guò nǔ lì, tā de shì yè zhōng yú yáng fān qǐ háng.
After hard work, his career finally set sail.
扬帆。
Zhè sōu dà chuán zài qīng chén yáng fān.
This large ship set sail at dawn.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

扬, meaning raise, combines with 帆, meaning sail, to describe setting sail.

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 揚; 扬 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

手手shǒuhand

Sound part声符shēngfú

昜

昜yáng揚

Same sound today

The traditional form 揚 uses 手 to show a hand-related action and 昜 to give the sound; the simplified 扬 is a later abbreviation.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

巾凡帆

Meaning part形符xíngfú

巾巾jīncloth

Sound part声符shēngfú

凡

凡fán帆fān

Same sound today

帆 pairs 巾 (cloth) with 凡, which gives the sound fán.

Appears in

Boats & Water Travel

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