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深海 (shēn hǎi) — deep sea

Definition

noun
deep sea
Measure word · 片

Examples

  • 深海。
    Kē xué jiā zhèng zài tàn suǒ shēn hǎi de mì mì.
    Scientists are exploring the secrets of the deep sea.
  • 深海。
    shēn hǎi Lǐ yǒu xǔ duō qí guài de shēng wù.
    There are many strange creatures in the deep sea.
  • 深海。
    Qián shuǐ yuán xià qián dào le shēn hǎi.
    The diver dove down to the deep sea.

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.

深shēndeep
海hǎisea

The idea of 深 'deep' gives the extent of 海 'sea', together meaning deep 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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
𥥍
𥥍𥥍深shēn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

深 is built from 氵, the side form of 水 “water”, and 𥥍, which supplies the sound.

Open 深 →

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 →
Appears in
Geography & Landforms

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