楠塔基特岛 (nán tǎ jī tè dǎo) — Nantucket Island (an island off the coast of Massachusetts, USA)

Definition

noun
Nantucket Island (an island off the coast of Massachusetts, USA)

Examples

  • 楠塔基特岛，。
    Wǒ qù nián xià tiān qù le nán tǎ jī tè dǎo, nà lǐ fēi cháng měi lì.
    I went to Nantucket Island last summer; it's very beautiful.
  • 楠塔基特岛。
    nán tǎ jī tè dǎo Shì měi guó mǎ sà zhū sài zhōu de yí gè zhù míng lǚ yóu jǐng diǎn.
    Nantucket Island is a famous tourist attraction in Massachusetts, USA.
  • 楠塔基特岛。
    Hěn duō rén xǐ huan zài nán tǎ jī tè dǎo qí zì xíng chē huán dǎo yóu lǎn.
    Many people like to ride bicycles around Nantucket Island to tour.

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.

楠塔基特Nantucket
楠nán塔tǎ基jī特tè
音译Transliteration
岛dǎoisland

楠塔基特 spells the foreign name, and 岛 says it is an island.

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
木木mùwood; tree
Sound part声符shēngfú
南
南nán楠
Same sound today

楠 joins 木 (wood; tree) with 南, which gives the sound.

Open 楠 →

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
土土tǔ
Sound part声符shēngfú
荅
荅dá塔tǎ
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

塔 shows 土 (earth) for the meaning and 荅 (dá) for the sound.

Open 塔 →

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
土土tǔearth
Sound part声符shēngfú
其
其qí基jī
Same sound today

The lower 土 means earth, and the upper 其 gives the sound; together they form the idea of a foundation of earth.

Open 基 →

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
牛牛niúox
Sound part声符shēngfú
寺
寺sì特tè
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The shape combines 牛 (ox) with 寺, which gives the pronunciation; it originally meant a large bull.

Open 特 →

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 島; 岛 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
山山shānmountain
Sound part声符shēngfú
鳥
鳥niǎo島dǎo
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 島 uses 山, meaning mountain, and 鳥 for the sound. The simplified 岛 is a later shorthand.

Open 岛 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.