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海量 (hǎi liàng) — (noun or adjective) huge volume; vast (in data, information, etc.); (polite noun) great capacity for alcohol; magnanimity (used to compliment someone)

Definition

海量 is an emphatic 'vast / massive' used for data, information, or quantities — stronger than the plain 大量. Polite drinking compliment: 'great capacity (for alcohol) / magnanimity.'

(noun or adjective) huge volumevast (in data, information, etc.)(polite noun) great capacity for alcoholmagnanimity (used to compliment someone)

Examples

  • 海量。
    Zhè ge wǎng zhàn měi tiān chǔ lǐ hǎi liàng de yòng hù qǐng qiú.
    This website processes a huge volume of user requests every day.
  • 海量，！
    Nín zhēn shì hǎi liàng, wǒ jìng nín yì bēi!
    You really have a great capacity for alcohol — I toast you!
  • 海量，。
    Tā xiōng huái hǎi liàng, cóng bú jì jiào xiǎo shì.
    He is magnanimous and never fusses over small matters.

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hǎivast
量liángamount

海量 joins 海, vast, and 量, amount, to mean a very large amount.

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 →

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

  • 日日rìsun
  • 東東dōngbag; east

量 has 日 (sun) over 東 (bag; east). Some explanations suggest measuring under the sun or the sun rising in the east, but the exact origin is unclear.

Open 量 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9

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