海鸥 (hǎi ōu) — seagull; gull | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

seagullgull

Measure word · 只

Examples

海鸥。
Yì qún hǎi ōu zài hǎi miàn shàng fēi xiáng.
A flock of seagulls is flying over the sea.
海鸥。
Hái zi men zài hǎi biān wèi hǎi ōu.
The children are feeding the seagulls at the beach.
海鸥。
hǎi ōu De jiào shēng ràng rén xiǎng qǐ dà hǎi.
The cry of seagulls reminds people of the ocean.

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 means sea and 鸥 means gull, so 海鸥 is a gull living near the sea.

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 鷗; 鸥 is its simplified writing.

區鳥鷗

Meaning part形符xíngfú

鳥鳥niǎobird

Sound part声符shēngfú

區

區qū鷗ōu

Same sound today

The traditional form 鷗 pairs 鳥 (bird) with 區 for the sound; the simplified 鸥 is a shorthand, and its right side is not the historical component.

Appears in

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