海鹰 (hǎi yīng) — osprey; fishhawk | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

ospreyfishhawk

Measure word · 只

海鹰。
Wǒ zài hǎi biān kàn dào yì zhī hǎi yīng.
I saw an osprey at the seaside.
海鹰。
hǎi yīng Shì yì zhǒng dà xíng de měng qín.
The osprey is a large bird of prey.
海鹰。
hǎi yīng Yǐ bǔ yú wéi shēng.
Ospreys live by catching fish.

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.

A 鹰 bird that hunts over the 海 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

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 鷹; 鹰 is its simplified writing.

䧹鳥鷹

Meaning part形符xíngfú

鳥鳥niǎobird

Sound part声符shēngfú

䧹

䧹䧹鷹yīng

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 鷹 combines 鳥 (bird) with 䧹, which gives the sound.