气垫船 (qì diàn chuán) — hovercraft

Definition

Hovercraft, a vehicle that rides on a cushion of air and can travel over both water and land. The name literally combines 气 (air) + 垫 (cushion) + 船 (boat).

noun
hovercraft
Measure word · 艘

Examples

  • 气垫船。
    qì diàn chuán Shì yì zhǒng néng zài shuǐ shàng hé lù dì shàng xíng shǐ de jiāo tōng gōng jù.
    A hovercraft is a vehicle that can travel on both water and land.
  • 气垫船。
    Tā men chéng zuò qì diàn chuán kuài sù chuān yuè le zhǎo zé dì.
    They crossed the swamp quickly by hovercraft.
  • 气垫船。
    Zhè sōu qì diàn chuán kě yǐ zǎi wǔ shí míng chéng kè.
    This hovercraft can carry fifty passengers.

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.

气垫air cushion
气qìair垫diàncushion
偏正Modifier + head
船chuánboat

气 is air, 垫 is cushion, and 船 is boat, so it is an air-cushion boat.

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 氣; 气 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
米米mǐrice
Sound part声符shēngfú
气
气qì氣qì
Same sound today

The traditional form 氣 pairs 米 (rice) with 气, which supplies the sound; the simplified 气 is a later abbreviation.

Open 气 →

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 墊; 垫 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
土土tǔearth
Sound part声符shēngfú
執
執zhí墊diàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 墊 pairs 土, showing earth, with 執, providing the sound; this is about 墊, not the simplified 垫.

Open 垫 →

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
舟舟zhōuboat
Sound part声符shēngfú
㕣
㕣㕣船
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

船 pairs 舟 (boat) with 㕣 for its sound.

Open 船 →

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