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单向 (dān xiàng) — one-way, unidirectional

Definition

adjective
one-wayunidirectional

Examples

  • 单向，。
    Zhè shì yì tiáo dān xiàng chē dào, bù néng diào tóu.
    This is a one-way lane; you cannot make a U-turn.
  • 单向，。
    Zài dān xiàng gōu tōng zhōng, shuō huà zhě wú fǎ dé dào fǎn kuì.
    In one-way communication, the speaker cannot receive feedback.
  • 单向，。
    Zhè cì huì tán shì dān xiàng de, zhǐ yǒu wǒ fāng fā biǎo yì jiàn.
    This meeting was one-way; only our side expressed opinions.

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.

单dānone
向xiàngdirection

单 means one and 向 means direction, giving one direction only.

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 單; 单 is its simplified writing.

The form 單 originally pictured a Y-shaped wooden stick with two stones on top.

Open 单 →

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

向 originally drew 宀 (house) with 口 to show an echo in a place; later it was used for direction.

Open 向 →
Appears in
Directions

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