走私案 (zǒu sī àn) — smuggling case

Definition

noun
smuggling case
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 走私案。
    Jǐng chá pò huò le yì zǒu sī àn.
    The police cracked a smuggling case.
  • 走私案。
    Zhè ge zǒu sī àn shè jí dà liàng dú pǐn.
    This smuggling case involves a large amount of drugs.
  • 走私案。
    Fǎ yuàn zhèng zài shěn lǐ nà zǒu sī àn.
    The court is hearing that smuggling case.

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.

走私smuggle
走zǒutransport私sīprivate goods
动宾Verb + object
案àncase

走私 'smuggle' specifies 案 'case' as a smuggling case.

Characters in this word

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

The original shape showed a running man, with a foot added later.

Open 走 →

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
禾禾hé
Sound part声符shēngfú
厶
厶sī私sī
Same sound today

私 combines 禾 and 厶; 厶 originally represented the word, and 禾 was added later.

Open 私 →

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
木木mù
Sound part声符shēngfú
安
安ān案àn
Same sound today

案 pairs 木, a wood/tree shape, with 安, which is used for its sound.

Open 案 →

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