东方航空 (dōng fāng háng kōng) — China Eastern Airlines | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

China Eastern Airlines

Examples

东方航空。
Wǒ jīng cháng zuò dōng fāng háng kōng de fēi jī qù shàng hǎi.
I often fly to Shanghai on China Eastern Airlines.
东方航空，。
dōng fāng háng kōng De fú wù hěn hǎo, dà jiā dōu hěn mǎn yì.
China Eastern Airlines' service is very good; everyone is quite satisfied.
东方航空。
Tā mǎi le liǎng zhāng dōng fāng háng kōng de jī piào.
She bought two tickets on China Eastern Airlines.

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.

东方eastern

东dōngeast方fāngdirection

偏正Modifier + head

航空aviation

航hángnavigate空kōngsky

动宾Verb + object

东方 means eastern and 航空 means aviation; together they name China Eastern Airlines.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 東; 东 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 東 originally drew a full bag tied at both ends. The simplified 东 is a later shorthand, not the historical shape.

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

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

舟亢航

Meaning part形符xíngfú

舟舟zhōuboat

Sound part声符shēngfú

亢

亢kàng航háng

Same sound today

航 shows a boat with 舟, and 亢 gives the character its sound.

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

穴工空

Meaning part形符xíngfú

穴穴xuécave, hole

Sound part声符shēngfú

工

工gōng空kōng

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

空 is built from 穴, a cave or hole, and 工, which gives the sound.

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