蝶泳 (dié yǒng) — butterfly stroke

Definition

noun
butterfly stroke

Examples

  • 蝶泳。
    Tā yóu dié yǒng yóu dé zuì kuài.
    He swims the butterfly stroke the fastest.
  • 蝶泳。
    dié yǒng Shì sì zhǒng yǒng zī zhōng zuì lèi de.
    The butterfly stroke is the most tiring of the four swimming strokes.
  • 蝶泳。
    Jiào liàn zhèng zài jiào tā dié yǒng de dòng zuò.
    The coach is teaching her the movements of the butterfly stroke.

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.

蝶diébutterfly
泳yǒngswimming

蝶 names a butterfly and 泳 names swimming, so the word means a swimming style resembling a butterfly.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
虫虫chónginsect
Sound part声符shēngfú
枼
枼yè蝶dié
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

蝶 combines 虫, showing an insect-like creature, with 枼, which gives its sound.

Open 蝶 →

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
氵Written in full as水shuǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
永
永yǒng泳yǒng
Same sound today

泳 pairs 氵 (water) with 永, which gives the sound. The water part fits the meaning of swimming.

Open 泳 →

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