凌空 (líng kōng) — to soar aloft; to be high up in the air

Definition

凌空 describes something high up in the air or soaring aloft — it usually modifies verbs like 飞翔, 跃起, or 矗立 to give a vivid sense of being suspended at a great height.

verb
to soar aloftto be high up in the air

Examples

  • 凌空，。
    Zá jì yǎn yuán líng kōng yuè qǐ, zuò chū gāo nán dù dòng zuò.
    The acrobat leaped into the air and performed a difficult move.
  • 凌空，。
    Xióng yīng líng kōng fēi xiáng, fǔ kàn dà dì.
    The eagle soared aloft, looking down at the earth.
  • 凌空，。
    Zhè zuò gāo tǎ líng kōng chù lì, zhí chā yún xiāo.
    This tall tower stands towering in the sky, piercing the clouds.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

凌língsoar
空kōngsky

Soar + sky describes rising high in the air.

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
冫Written in full as仌bīngice
Sound part声符shēngfú
夌
夌líng凌líng
Same sound today

In 凌, the left part 冫 relates to ice, while the right part 夌 gives the pronunciation.

Open 凌 →

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
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.

Open 空 →

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