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翱翔 (áo xiáng) — to soar, to circle in flight (of birds, aircraft, etc.)

Definition

Literary verb meaning 'to soar in wide circles' (birds, aircraft, imagination). Implies sustained, graceful circling flight rather than straight soaring or ordinary flying, and is much more elevated than 飞.

verb
to soarto circle in flight (of birds, aircraft, etc.)

Examples

  • 翱翔。
    Xióng yīng zài tiān kōng zhōng zì yóu áo xiáng.
    The eagle soars freely in the sky.
  • 翱翔。
    Fēi jī zài yún céng zhī shàng áo xiáng.
    The airplane soars above the clouds.
  • 翱翔。
    Tā mèng xiǎng zhe zài lán tiān zhōng áo xiáng.
    He dreams of soaring in the blue sky.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

翱áosoar
翔xiángfly

Both 翱 and 翔 carry flying senses, so together they describe soaring.

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

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
羽羽yǔfeathers
Sound part声符shēngfú
羊
羊yáng翔xiáng
Same sound today

翔 pairs 羽 (feathers) with 羊, which gives the sound. The feathers part connects to soaring.

Open 翔 →
Appears in
Birds

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