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护航 (hù háng) — to escort (a vessel or aircraft); to convoy; (figurative) to provide illicit help (e.g., during an exam)

Definition

Literally 'to escort (a ship or plane)'. Figuratively used for giving illicit help — e.g., helping someone cheat on an exam.

verb
to escort (a vessel or aircraft)to convoy(figurative) to provide illicit help (e.g., during an exam)

Examples

  • 护航。
    Zhè sōu jūn jiàn zhèng zài wèi shāng chuán hù háng.
    This warship is escorting the merchant ship.
  • 。
    Tā wèi nà sōu chuán hù guò yí cì háng.
    He escorted that ship once.
  • 护航。
    Tā yīn wèi kǎo shì shí gěi tóng xué hù háng bèi fā xiàn le.
    He was caught because he helped a classmate cheat during the exam.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

护hùprotect
航hángvoyage

护 means protect and 航 refers to a voyage or flight; together they mean escorting it.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
扌Written in full as手shǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
户
户hù护hù
Same sound today

护 combines 扌 (the hand form 手) with 户, which gives the sound hù.

Open 护 →

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
舟舟zhōuboat
Sound part声符shēngfú
亢
亢kàng航háng
Same sound today

航 shows a boat with 舟, and 亢 gives the character its sound.

Open 航 →
Appears in
Air TravelBoats & Water Travel

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