起降 (qǐ jiàng) — takeoff and landing (of aircraft); to take off and land

Definition

takeoff and landing (of aircraft)to take off and land

Examples

  • 起降。
    Zhè jià fēi jī měi tiān zài jī chǎng qǐ jiàng hěn duō cì.
    This aircraft takes off and lands many times at the airport every day.
  • 起降。
    Fēi xíng yuán xū yào liàn xí qǐ jiàng jì shù.
    Pilots need to practice takeoff and landing techniques.
  • 起降。
    È liè tiān qì huì yǐng xiǎng fēi jī de zhèng cháng qǐ jiàng.
    Bad weather can affect the normal takeoff and landing of aircraft.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

起qǐtake off
降jiàngland

起 and 降 name the two opposite aircraft actions, together meaning takeoff and landing.

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
走走zǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
巳
巳sì起qǐ
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

起 is made from 走 and 巳: 走 is the part connected with walking or running, and 巳 gives the sound.

Open 起 →

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
阝Written in full as阜fùhill, wall
Sound part声符shēngfú
夅
夅jiàng降xiáng
Same sound today

降 pairs 阝 (a hill or wall, written in full as 阜) with 夅, a sound part meaning 'to descend'; together they picture descending a hill.

Open 降 →

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