潜逃 (qián táo) — to abscond, to flee secretly (especially to avo… | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

verb

to abscondto flee secretly (especially to avoid arrest or punishment)

Examples

潜逃，。
Nà ge zuì fàn qián táo dào le guó wài, zhì jīn xià luò bù míng.
That criminal absconded abroad and his whereabouts are still unknown.
潜逃。
Jǐng fāng zhèng zài quán lì zhuī bǔ qián táo de xián yí rén.
The police are making every effort to pursue the fugitive suspect.
潜逃，。
Tā xié kuǎn qián táo hòu, gōng sī lì kè bào le jǐng.
After he absconded with the money, the company immediately called the police.

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qiánsecretly

潜 (secretly) + 逃 (flee) means to flee secretly.

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.

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

辶兆逃

Meaning part形符xíngfú

辶Written in full as辵chuòwalk

Sound part声符shēngfú

兆

兆zhào逃táo

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

逃 pairs 辶 (walk) with 兆, which gives the pronunciation.

Appears in

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