横 (héng) — horizontal; crosswise, transverse
Definition
横 (héng) is the adjective 'horizontal / crosswise', contrasting with 竖 'vertical'. Compared to 横向, 横向 is used for lateral/cross-organizational relationships, while 横 is the plain physical sense.
adjective
horizontalcrosswisetransverse
Examples
- 横。Qiáng shàng yǒu yí dào héng de liè fèng.There is a horizontal crack on the wall.
- 横，。Zhè tiáo xiàn shì héng de, bú shì shù de.This line is horizontal, not vertical.
- 横。Wǒ men bǎ zhuō zi héng zhe bǎi ba.Let's arrange the table horizontally.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost 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.
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.
Appears in
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