逃难 (táo nán) — to flee (from a disaster, war, famine, etc.)

Definition

A set verb meaning to flee a disaster, war, or famine. Insert 逃/了/过/过 between the two characters (逃了一次难); the noun form 逃难 (famine/disaster refugee) is the nominalized use.

verb
to flee (from a disaster, war, famine, etc.)

Examples

  • ，逃难。
    Zhàn zhēng bào fā hòu, hěn duō rén bù dé bù táo nán dào wài dì.
    After the war broke out, many people had to flee to other places.
  • ，。
    Tā xiǎo shí hou táo guò yí cì nán, suǒ yǐ tè bié zhēn xī hé píng.
    He experienced fleeing from disaster once as a child, so he especially cherishes peace.
  • ，逃难。
    Nà nián hóng shuǐ yān le cūn zi, quán cūn rén dōu táo nán qù le.
    That year the flood submerged the village, and the whole village fled from the calamity.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

逃táoflee
难nándisaster

逃 flee and 难 disaster together mean flee from a disaster.

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
辶Written in full as辵chuòwalk
Sound part声符shēngfú
兆
兆zhào逃táo
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

逃 pairs 辶 (walk) with 兆, which gives the pronunciation.

Open 逃 →

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 難; 难 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
隹隹zhuībird
Sound part声符shēngfú
暵
暵hàn難nán
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional 難 pairs 隹, a bird, with 暵 for sound, and meant a type of bird. It was later borrowed for other meanings; the modern 难 is a shorthand.

Open 难 →

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