克里特岛 (Kè lǐ tè dǎo) — Crete (the Greek island)

Definition

noun
Crete (the Greek island)

Examples

  • 克里特岛。
    Kè lǐ tè dǎo Shì xī là zuì dà de dǎo yǔ zhī yī.
    Crete is one of the largest islands in Greece.
  • 克里特岛。
    Wǒ jì huà míng nián qù Kè lǐ tè dǎo lǚ yóu.
    I plan to travel to Crete next year.
  • 克里特岛。
    Kè lǐ tè dǎo De lì shǐ fēi cháng yōu jiǔ.
    The history of Crete is very long.

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.

克里特Crete
克kè里lǐ特tè
岛dǎoisland

克里特 names Crete, 岛 means island; together it refers to the island of Crete.

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 克 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 裡; 里 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 里 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (里, 里面) it is 裡; in others (公里) it is 里 or 裏.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
衤Written in full as衣yīclothes
Sound part声符shēngfú
里
里lǐ裡lǐ
Same sound today

The form 裡 pairs 衤 (clothes) with 里 as a sound component.

Open 里 →

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
牛牛niúox
Sound part声符shēngfú
寺
寺sì特tè
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The shape combines 牛 (ox) with 寺, which gives the pronunciation; it originally meant a large bull.

Open 特 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 島; 岛 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
山山shānmountain
Sound part声符shēngfú
鳥
鳥niǎo島dǎo
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 島 uses 山, meaning mountain, and 鳥 for the sound. The simplified 岛 is a later shorthand.

Open 岛 →

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