洪武 (Hóng wǔ) — Hongwu (reign name of the first Ming emperor, 1368–1398)

Definition

Hongwu (Hóngwǔ) is the reign-period name (年号) of the first Ming emperor Zhu Yuanzhang, used to label anything from his era (1368–1398).

noun
Hongwu (reign name of the first Ming emperor, 1368–1398)

Examples

  • 洪武。
    Hóng wǔ Huáng dì shì míng cháo de kāi guó huáng dì.
    The Hongwu Emperor was the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty.
  • 洪武，。
    Hóng wǔ Nián jiān, zhōng guó de rén kǒu zēng zhǎng hěn kuài.
    During the Hongwu period, China's population grew rapidly.
  • 洪武。
    Tā zhèng zài yán jiū Hóng wǔ shí qī de fǎ lǜ zhì dù.
    He is researching the legal system of the Hongwu period.

Origin

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
水水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
共
共gòng洪hóng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

洪 is built from 水 (water) and 共 (gòng), with 共 giving the sound.

Open 洪 →

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

武 puts 戈 (dagger-axe) above 止 (foot/to walk), showing an army going on an expedition.

Open 武 →

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