横线 (héng xiàn) — horizontal line | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

horizontal line

Measure word · 条

横线。
Qǐng zài zhè zhāng bái zhǐ shàng huà yì tiáo héng xiàn.
Please draw a horizontal line on this white piece of paper.
横线。
Tú biǎo zhōng de héng xiàn biǎo shì liǎng gè bù tóng qū yù.
The horizontal line in the chart indicates two different areas.
横线。
Tā zài liàn xí běn shàng huà le hěn duō héng xiàn.
He drew many horizontal lines on his exercise book.

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.

横hénghorizontal

横 gives horizontal, and 线 gives line, naming a line running left to right.

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 橫; 横 is its simplified writing.

木黃橫

Meaning part形符xíngfú

木木mùwood

Sound part声符shēngfú

黃

黃huáng橫héng

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

The traditional form 橫 has 木, meaning wood, beside 黃, which supplies the sound; the simplified 横 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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 線; 线 is its simplified writing.

糹泉線

Meaning part形符xíngfú

糹Written in full as糸mì

Sound part声符shēngfú

泉

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

The traditional form 線 uses 糹 (silk/thread) to show the meaning and 泉 to suggest the sound; the simplified 线 is a later shorthand.