联运 (lián yùn) — through transport; joint transportation (multimodal)

Definition

联运 (liányùn) is 'multimodal transport' — a single shipment carried by two or more transport modes (e.g. rail + sea) under one contract, as opposed to a single-mode shipment.

noun
through transportjoint transportation (multimodal)

Examples

  • 联运。
    Zhè zhǒng lián yùn fāng shì kě yǐ tí gāo yùn shū xiào lǜ.
    This type of through transport can increase transport efficiency.
  • 联运。
    Tā men gōng sī zhuān mén zuò guó jì lián yùn de.
    Their company specializes in international through transport.
  • 联运。
    lián yùn De yōu shì zài yú jié shěng shí jiān hé chéng běn.
    The advantage of through transport is saving time and cost.

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.

联liánjoint
运yùntransport

联 (joint) + 运 (transport): transport carried out jointly.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 聯; 联 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 聯 combines 耳 (ear) and 絲 (silk); 联 is a simplified form of 聯.

Open 联 →

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 運; 运 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
辵辵chuòmotion
Sound part声符shēngfú
軍
軍jūn運yùn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 運 combines 辵, meaning motion, with 軍 to give the sound; the simplified 运 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the historical components.

Open 运 →

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