出港 (chū gǎng) — (verb) to leave port; to clear a port (of a ship); (verb) to export; to send goods abroad

Definition

出港 is the formal/technical term used in shipping, aviation, and trade — 'to leave port' for a vessel, or 'to export' goods. Contrast with the colloquial 出发 ('set out / depart') and 进港 ('enter port / import').

verb
to leave portto clear a port (of a ship)to exportto send goods abroad

Examples

  • 出港。
    Zhè sōu huò lún jīn tiān xià wǔ chū gǎng.
    This cargo ship will leave port this afternoon.
  • 出港。
    Gōng sī qù nián chū le yì pī xīn huò chū gǎng dào ōu zhōu.
    The company exported a batch of new goods to Europe last year.
  • 。
    Zhè sōu chuán yǐ jīng chū guò yí cì gǎng le.
    This ship has already left port once.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

出chūleave
港gǎngharbor

Leaving the harbor (港), whether a ship or exported goods.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

出 combines 止 (foot) and 凵 (cave) to show a foot stepping out of a cave.

Open 出 →

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
水水shuǐriver; water
Sound part声符shēngfú
巷
巷xiàng港gǎng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

港 uses 水 (river; water) to show its meaning and 巷 to give its sound.

Open 港 →

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