水平线 (shuǐ píng xiàn) — horizontal line

Definition

noun

horizontal line

Measure word · 条

水平线。
Zhè tiáo shuǐ píng xiàn huà dé tài zhí le.
This horizontal line is drawn too straight.
水平线。
Hǎi miàn shàng yǒu yì tiáo shuǐ píng xiàn.
There is a horizontal line on the sea surface.
水平线。
Qǐng nǐ zài zhè zhāng zhǐ shàng huà yì tiáo shuǐ píng xiàn.
Please draw a horizontal line on this piece of paper.

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.

水平horizontal

偏正Modifier + head

水 and 平 combine to suggest the level surface of water, which describes the 线.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

水 is a simple drawing of water flowing.

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

The origin is uncertain. One explanation combines 八 (division) and 亏 (exhaled air) to show smooth speech.

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.