航天飞机 (háng tiān fēi jī) — space shuttle | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

space shuttle

Measure word · 架

Examples

航天飞机。
háng tiān fēi jī Shì yì zhǒng kě yǐ chóng fù shǐ yòng de háng tiān qì.
The space shuttle is a reusable spacecraft.
航天飞机。
Měi guó céng jīng fā shè guò duō cì háng tiān fēi jī.
The United States launched the space shuttle many times.
航天飞机。
háng tiān fēi jī De fǎn huí guò chéng xū yào jīng què kòng zhì.
The return process of the space shuttle requires precise control.

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.

航天spaceflight

航hángnavigate天tiānsky

动宾Verb + object

飞机aircraft

飞fēifly机jīmachine

偏正Modifier + head

航天 means flying in space, and 飞机 is an aircraft, so 航天飞机 is a space-going aircraft.

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.

舟亢航

Meaning part形符xíngfú

舟舟zhōuboat

Sound part声符shēngfú

亢

亢kàng航háng

Same sound today

航 shows a boat with 舟, and 亢 gives the character its sound.

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

Sound part声符shēngfú

丁

丁dīng天tiān

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The shape comes from a frontal standing man 大 with a head; 天 pairs 大 with 丁 for sound.

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 飛; 飞 is its simplified writing.

For 飞, the traditional form 飛 pictures a bird flying upwards.

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

木几机

Meaning part形符xíngfú

木木mùtree; wood

Sound part声符shēngfú

几

几jǐ机jī

Same sound today

The left part is 木 (tree; wood), and the right part 几 gives the sound.

Appears in

Space Exploration

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