俯瞰 (fǔ kàn) — to look down at, to overlook (from a height) | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

verb

to look down atto overlook (from a height)

Examples

俯瞰，。
Cóng shān dǐng fǔ kàn, zhěng gè chéng shì jìn shōu yǎn dǐ.
From the mountaintop, you can take in the entire city at a glance.
俯瞰，。
Fēi jī shàng fǔ kàn yún hǎi, jǐng sè fēi cháng zhuàng guān.
Looking down at the sea of clouds from the plane, the view is magnificent.
，俯瞰。
Zhè zuò tǎ gāo wǔ shí mǐ, kě yǐ fǔ kàn zhōu wéi de tián yě.
This pagoda is fifty meters high, allowing you to overlook the surrounding fields.

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.

俯fǔlook down

瞰kànlook

俯 gives the idea of looking down, and 瞰 is to look: to overlook from above.

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

勹勹bāoperson bending over

Sound part声符shēngfú

府

府fǔ俯fǔ

Same sound today

俯 uses 府 to show the sound fǔ and 勹 to show a person bending over; the modern left side comes from 勹.

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

目敢瞰

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

敢

敢gǎn瞰kàn

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

The shape pairs 目, an eye, with 敢, which gives the sound. The eye part relates to looking, while 敢 is not the meaning.

Appears in

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