南海 (Nán Hǎi) — South China Sea; Nanhai District (in Foshan, Guangdong); (in classical texts) faraway southern lands

Definition

Proper noun with three distinct senses: the South China Sea (the geographic sea), 南海区 a district of Foshan in Guangdong, and a classical/poetic name for faraway southern lands.

noun
South China SeaNanhai District (in Foshan, Guangdong)(in classical texts) faraway southern lands

Examples

  • 南海。
    Nán Hǎi Shì zhōng guó nán bù de yí piàn hǎi yù.
    The South China Sea is a sea area in southern China.
  • 南海。
    Tā zhù zài guǎng dōng fó shān de Nán Hǎi qū.
    He lives in Nanhai District, Foshan, Guangdong.
  • 南海。
    Gǔ shī zhōng cháng tí dào Nán Hǎi.
    Classical poems often mention the faraway southern lands.

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.

南nánsouth
海hǎisea

In 南海, 南 gives south and 海 gives sea, naming a southern sea.

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 南 →

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
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
每
每měi海hǎi
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

海 pairs 氵 (water) with 每, which gives the sound. The 氵 side shows it is about water.

Open 海 →

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