南湾 (nán wān) — South Bay (place name, e.g. in California, Hong Kong, or Taiwan)

Definition

A place name meaning 'South Bay' — used in several regions, e.g. South Bay in the San Francisco area (known for high-tech firms) and in Hong Kong or Taiwan. Pronounced nānwān as a set name, not literally 'south' + 'bay'.

noun
South Bay (place name, e.g. in California, Hong Kong, or Taiwan)

Examples

  • 南湾，。
    Wǒ zhù zài nán wān, lí jiù jīn shān hěn jìn.
    I live in South Bay, very close to San Francisco.
  • 南湾。
    nán wān Yǒu hěn duō gāo kē jì gōng sī.
    South Bay has many high-tech companies.
  • 南湾。
    Tā men jì huà qù nán wān lǚ xíng.
    They plan to travel to South Bay.

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
湾wānbay

南 gives the south, and 湾 gives the bay.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 灣; 湾 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
彎
彎wān灣wān
Same sound today

The traditional form 灣 pairs 氵 (water) with 彎, which gives the sound; the simplified 湾 is a shorthand.

Open 湾 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.