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港 (Gǎng) — Hong Kong (abbreviation); surname Gang

Definition

港 is the short form of 香港 (Hong Kong), used in compounds like 港币 and 港岛. Distinct from 港口 'port' (a place for ships) and 大陆 'mainland' (mainland China, contrasted with Hong Kong).

noun
Hong Kong (abbreviation)surname Gang
Measure word · 个
Easily confused

Examples

  • 。
    Wǒ dǎ suàn qù xiāng Gǎng lǚ xíng.
    I plan to travel to Hong Kong.
  • 港。
    Gǎng Bì duì rén mín bì shēng zhí le.
    The Hong Kong dollar has appreciated against the renminbi.
  • 港。
    Gǎng Dǎo de jiāo tōng fēi cháng fāng biàn.
    Transportation on Hong Kong Island is very convenient.

Origin

Sound + meaning
六书liùshū
形声xíngshēng

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.

Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9China — Places5000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

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