潜水艇 (qián shuǐ tǐng) — submarine | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

submarine

Measure word · 艘

Examples

潜水艇。
Zuó tiān wǒ zài hǎi biān kàn dào le yì sōu qián shuǐ tǐng.
Yesterday I saw a submarine by the seaside.
潜水艇。
Zhè sōu qián shuǐ tǐng kě yǐ qián dào hěn shēn de hǎi dǐ.
This submarine can dive to very deep seafloor.
潜水艇。
Kē xué jiā zhèng zài yán jiū xīn xíng qián shuǐ tǐng de shè jì.
Scientists are researching the design of new submarines.

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.

潜水dive underwater

潜qiánsubmerge水shuǐwater

动宾Verb + object

潜水艇 is a 艇 that operates underwater, from 潜水, diving in 水.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 潛; 潜 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

朁

朁cǎn潛qián

Same sound today

The form 潛 has 水 as a meaning part and 朁 as a sound part; this note is about 潛, not the simplified 潜.

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

水 is a simple drawing of water flowing.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

舟廷艇

Meaning part形符xíngfú

舟舟zhōuboat

Sound part声符shēngfú

廷

廷tíng艇tǐng

Same sound today

艇 pairs 舟, meaning boat, with 廷, which gives the sound.

Appears in

Boats & Water Travel

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