通路 (tōng lù) — thoroughfare, passageway, route

Definition

noun
thoroughfarepassagewayroute
Measure word · 条

Examples

  • 通路，。
    Zhè tiáo tōng lù hěn zhǎi, zhǐ néng zǒu yí gè rén.
    This passageway is very narrow; only one person can walk through.
  • 通路。
    Zhè tiáo tōng lù shì tōng wǎng jī chǎng de zhǔ yào lù xiàn.
    This route is the main road to the airport.
  • 通路。
    Tā men xiū jiàn le yì tiáo xīn de tōng lù.
    They built a new passageway.

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.

通tōngpassable
路lùroad

通 (passable) and 路 (road) combine to mean a route or passageway.

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chuò
Sound part声符shēngfú
甬
甬yǒng通tōng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

通 pairs 辶, a part associated with movement, with 甬, which gives the sound.

Open 通 →

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
足足zú
Sound part声符shēngfú
各
各gè路lù
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

路 combines 足, a foot, with 各, which supplies the sound.

Open 路 →

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