海沟 (hǎi gōu) — oceanic trench | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

oceanic trench

Measure word · 条

Examples

海沟。
Tài píng yáng de mǎ lǐ yà nà hǎi gōu shì dì qiú shàng zuì shēn de dì fāng zhī yī.
The Mariana Trench in the Pacific Ocean is one of the deepest places on Earth.
海沟。
Kē xué jiā zhèng zài yán jiū zhè tiáo hǎi gōu de shēng tài xì tǒng.
Scientists are studying the ecosystem of this trench.
海沟。
Shēn hǎi hǎi gōu de xíng chéng yǔ bǎn kuài yùn dòng yǒu guān.
The formation of deep-sea trenches is related to plate movements.

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 locates the 沟 as an oceanic trench.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 溝; 沟 is its simplified writing.

氵冓溝

Meaning part形符xíngfú

氵Written in full as水shuǐwater

Sound part声符shēngfú

冓

冓gòu溝gōu

Same sound today

The traditional form 溝 pairs 氵 (water) with 冓 for the sound; the simplified 沟 is a later shorthand, so its right side is not the historical part.

Appears in

Geography & Landforms

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