三副 (sān fù) — third mate, third officer (on a ship)

Definition

A nautical rank — the third mate (third officer) on a merchant ship, below 大副 and 二副 in the deck-officer hierarchy. Translates literally as 'third (deputy/assistant).'

noun
third matethird officer (on a ship)
Measure word · 位

Examples

  • 三副。
    Tā zài chuán shàng zuò sān fù gōng zuò.
    He works as a third mate on the ship.
  • 三副。
    sān fù Fù zé chuán shàng de ān quán shè bèi.
    The third mate is responsible for the ship's safety equipment.
  • 三副。
    Yì míng hé gé de sān fù xū yào jīng guò yán gé de péi xùn.
    A qualified third mate needs to undergo strict training.

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.

三sānthird
副fùdeputy officer

三 gives the third rank, and 副 names the deputy officer.

Characters in this word

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

三 is drawn as three parallel strokes, like 一 with one stroke and 二 with two.

Open 三 →

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
刂Written in full as刀dāoknife
Sound part声符shēngfú
畐
畐fú副fù
Same sound today

副 is built from 畐, which gives its sound, and 刂, a form of the knife 刀.

Open 副 →

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