货轮 (huò lún) — freighter, cargo ship | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

freightercargo ship

Measure word · 艘

Examples

货轮。
Zhè sōu huò lún yùn wǎng ōu zhōu.
This freighter is shipping to Europe.
货轮。
huò lún Zài dà hǎi shàng xíng shǐ le sān tiān.
The cargo ship sailed on the sea for three days.
货轮。
Gǎng kǒu de huò lún zhèng zài zhuāng huò.
The freighter at the port is loading cargo.

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.

货 refers to cargo, and 轮 to a ship, so the whole names a cargo ship.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 貨; 货 is its simplified writing.

化貝貨

Meaning part形符xíngfú

貝貝bèishell, money

Sound part声符shēngfú

化

化huà貨huò

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

The traditional form 貨 pairs 化 (sound) with 貝 (shell, money) to write valuable goods; the simplified 货 is a shorthand.

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 輪; 轮 is its simplified writing.

車侖輪

Meaning part形符xíngfú

車車jūcarriage

Sound part声符shēngfú

侖

侖lún輪lún

Same sound today

The traditional form 輪 uses 車, a carriage, and 侖 for the sound; the simplified 轮 is a later shorthand.

Appears in

Boats & Water Travel

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