海关 (hǎi guān) — customs (border inspection agency or checkpoint)

Definition

noun

customs (border inspection agency or checkpoint)

Measure word · 个

海关。
Wǒ zài hǎi guān děng le yí gè xiǎo shí cái tōng guò.
I waited an hour at customs before passing through.
海关。
hǎi guān Gōng zuò rén yuán zǐ xì jiǎn chá le wǒ de hù zhào.
The customs officer carefully checked my passport.
海关。
Rù jìng shí bì xū jīng guò hǎi guān.
You must go through customs when entering the country.

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.

海 means “sea” and 关 means “pass”, giving the sea pass for customs.

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.

氵每海

Meaning part形符xíngfú

氵Written in full as水shuǐwater

Sound part声符shēngfú

每

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

海 pairs 氵 (water) with 每, which gives the sound. The 氵 side shows it is about water.

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 關; 关 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

門門méndoor

Sound part声符shēngfú

𢇅

𢇅𢇅關guān

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

For 关, the traditional form 關 shows 門 as a door and 𢇅 as two wooden sticks locking it, with ring-like marks on top.

Appears in