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超新星 (chāo xīn xīng) — (astronomy) supernova

Definition

noun
(astronomy) supernova
Measure word · 颗

Examples

  • 超新星。
    Kē xué jiā zuì jìn fā xiàn le yì kē xīn de chāo xīn xīng.
    Scientists recently discovered a new supernova.
  • 超新星。
    chāo xīn xīng Bào zhà shí huì shì fàng chū jù dà de néng liàng.
    When a supernova explodes, it releases enormous amounts of energy.
  • 超新星。
    Zhè kē chāo xīn xīng bǐ tài yáng liàng shù shí yì bèi.
    This supernova is billions of times brighter than the sun.

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.

超chāosuper
新星new star
新xīnnew星xīngstar
偏正Modifier + head

超 expresses an extreme degree, and 新星 names a star that suddenly appears, as in a supernova.

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zǒurun
Sound part声符shēngfú
召
召zhào超chāo
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

超 pairs 走, meaning “run,” with 召, which gives the sound.

Open 超 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

假借jiǎjièLater borrowed for its sound alone — the picture has nothing to do with today’s meaning.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
斤斤jīn
Sound part声符shēngfú
辛
辛xīn新xīn
Same sound today

The shape originally paired 斤, for chopping wood, with 辛 for sound. It was borrowed for its sound to write 新, so the chopping-wood parts are unrelated to 'new'.

Open 新 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

The top of 星 is a later simplified form of 晶, twinkling stars; the bottom 生 shows the sound.

Open 星 →
Appears in
Sky & Space

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