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东海 (Dōng hǎi) — East China Sea; Tunghai University (in Taichung, Taiwan)

Definition

东海 is the proper name for the East China Sea, the body of water between eastern China, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. As a place name it also appears in the title of Tunghai University in Taichung.

noun
East China SeaTunghai University (in Taichung, Taiwan)

Examples

  • 东海，。
    Fēi jī yuè guò Dōng hǎi, dào dá le rì běn.
    The plane crossed the East China Sea and arrived in Japan.
  • 东海。
    Wǒ shēn qǐng le Dōng hǎi dà xué de yán jiū suǒ.
    I applied to the graduate school of Tunghai University.
  • 东海。
    Dōng hǎi Shì zhōng guó zuì zhòng yào de hǎi yù zhī yī.
    The East China Sea is one of China's most important sea areas.

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dōngeast
海hǎisea

东 specifies the direction and 海 names the sea, giving the eastern sea.

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.

Open 东 →

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
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
每
每měi海hǎi
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

海 pairs 氵 (water) with 每, which gives the sound. The 氵 side shows it is about water.

Open 海 →
Appears in
China — PlacesGeography & Landforms

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