航路 (háng lù) — air or sea route; course (of a ship or aircraft) | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

air or sea routecourse (of a ship or aircraft)

Measure word · 条

Examples

航路。
Zhè tiáo háng lù shì lián jiē yà zhōu hé ōu zhōu de zhòng yào háng xiàn.
This route is an important air route connecting Asia and Europe.
航路。
Chuán zhǎng gēn jù tiān qì tiáo zhěng le háng lù.
The captain adjusted the sea route based on the weather.
航路。
Fēi xíng yuán zài qǐ fēi qián zǐ xì yán jiū le háng lù.
The pilot carefully studied the route before takeoff.

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hángnavigate/flight

航 refers to navigating or flight, and 路 means route, together naming a route for ships or 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

各

各gè路lù

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

路 combines 足, a foot, with 各, which supplies the sound.

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