海峡群岛 (Hǎi xiá qún dǎo) — Channel Islands

Definition

noun
Channel Islands

Examples

  • 海峡群岛。
    Wǒ míng nián xiǎng qù Hǎi xiá qún dǎo lǚ yóu.
    I want to travel to the Channel Islands next year.
  • 海峡群岛。
    Hǎi xiá qún dǎo Yóu jǐ gè zhǔ yào dǎo yǔ zǔ chéng.
    The Channel Islands consist of several main islands.
  • 海峡群岛。
    Tā zài Hǎi xiá qún dǎo zhù le sān nián.
    He lived in the Channel Islands for three years.

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.

海峡strait
海hǎisea峡xiágorge
偏正Modifier + head
群岛islands
群qúngroup岛dǎoisland
偏正Modifier + head

海峡, 'strait', gives the setting for 群岛, 'islands'.

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
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
每
每měi海hǎi
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.

Open 海 →

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 峽; 峡 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
山山shānmountain
Sound part声符shēngfú
夾
夾jiā峽
Same sound today

The traditional form 峽 combines 山, a mountain, with 夾, used for its sound; this note describes 峽, not 峡.

Open 峡 →

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
羊羊yáng
Sound part声符shēngfú
君
君jūn群
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

群 pairs 羊, a sheep, to point to a herd or group, with 君 giving the sound.

Open 群 →

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 島; 岛 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
山山shānmountain
Sound part声符shēngfú
鳥
鳥niǎo島dǎo
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 島 uses 山, meaning mountain, and 鳥 for the sound. The simplified 岛 is a later shorthand.

Open 岛 →

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