海战 (hǎi zhàn) — naval warfare; naval battle | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

naval warfarenaval battle

Examples

海战。
Nà chǎng hǎi zhàn chí xù le sān tiān sān yè.
That naval battle lasted three days and three nights.
海战。
Lì shǐ shàng yǒu hěn duō zhù míng de hǎi zhàn.
There are many famous naval battles in history.
海战。
Zhè chǎng hǎi zhàn gǎi biàn le liǎng gè guó jiā de mìng yùn.
This naval battle changed the fate of two countries.

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 (sea) specifies the 战 (battle) as naval warfare.

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

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.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

占戈战

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

占

占zhàn战zhàn

Same sound today

战 pairs 占, which gives its sound, with 戈, a weapon.

Appears in

Military & Defense

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