星团 (xīng tuán) — star cluster | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

star cluster

Easily confused

星团。
Tiān wén tái fā xiàn le xīn de xīng tuán.
The observatory discovered a new star cluster.
星团。
Zhè ge xīng tuán shì yín hé xì de yí bù fen.
This star cluster is part of the Milky Way galaxy.
星团。
Yòng wàng yuǎn jìng kàn xīng tuán zhēn de hěn piào liang.
Looking at star clusters with a telescope is really beautiful.

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.

星 means star and 团 means cluster, so 星团 is a group of stars.

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.

The top of 星 is a later simplified form of 晶, twinkling stars; the bottom 生 shows the sound.

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 團; 团 is its simplified writing.

囗專團

Meaning part形符xíngfú

囗囗wéi

Sound part声符shēngfú

專

專zhuān團tuán

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

The form 團 combines 囗 as a meaning part with 專 as a sound part; the story is about 團, not about 团.