暗码 (àn mǎ) — secret code; cipher | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

secret codecipher

Examples

暗码。
Zhè ge àn mǎ zhǐ yǒu liǎng gè rén zhī dào.
Only two people know this secret code.
暗码。
Tā yòng yì zhǒng tè shū de àn mǎ gěi péng you xiě xìn.
He writes to his friend using a special cipher.
暗码。
Pò jiě zhè ge àn mǎ xū yào hěn duō shí jiān.
It takes a lot of time to break this code.

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.

暗ànsecret

暗 (secret) shapes 码 (code), meaning a secret code or cipher.

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.

日音暗

Meaning part形符xíngfú

日日rìsun

Sound part声符shēngfú

音

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

暗 pairs 日 (sun) with 音, which gives 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 碼; 码 is its simplified writing.

石馬碼

Meaning part形符xíngfú

石石shístone; rock

Sound part声符shēngfú

馬

馬mǎ碼mǎ

Same sound today

The traditional form 碼 pairs 石 (stone) with 馬 for its sound; the simplified 码 is a later shorthand.

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