港口 (gǎng kǒu) — port; harbor | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

A port or harbor where ships load and unload goods. 码头 is just the dock or pier itself; 港湾 is a naturally sheltered harbor.

noun

portharbor

Measure word · 个

Examples

港口。
Hěn duō huò wù tōng guò zhè ge gǎng kǒu yùn shū dào shì jiè gè dì.
Many goods are transported through this port to all over the world.
港口。
Zhè ge gǎng kǒu měi tiān dōu yǒu hěn duō chuán kào àn.
This port has many ships docking every day.
港口。
Zhè ge chéng shì yīn wèi yǒu le gǎng kǒu ér biàn de fēi cháng fán róng.
This city has become very prosperous because of this port.

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.

「港」 gives harbor and 「口」 gives mouth, together meaning the mouth of a harbor, hence a port.

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

水水shuǐriver; water

Sound part声符shēngfú

巷

巷xiàng港gǎng

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

港 uses 水 (river; water) to show its meaning and 巷 to give its sound.

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The form 口 looks like an open mouth.

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 6 HSK 2.0 Level 6 Boats & Water Travel

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