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地平线 (dì píng xiàn) — horizon

Definition

noun
horizon
Measure word · 条

Examples

  • 地平线。
    Tài yáng cóng dì píng xiàn shàng màn màn shēng qǐ lái.
    The sun slowly rises above the horizon.
  • ，地平线。
    Zuò fēi jī de shí hou, wǒ néng kàn dào yuǎn chù de dì píng xiàn.
    When I take a plane, I can see the distant horizon.
  • 地平线。
    Huà jiā huà le yì fú yǒu dì píng xiàn de huà.
    The painter created a picture with a horizon in it.

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.

地平ground level
地dìground平pínglevel
偏正Modifier + head
线xiànline

地平 (ground level) and 线 (line) mark where the ground seems to meet the sky.

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
土土tǔearth
Sound part声符shēngfú
也
也yě地dì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

地 is built from 土 (earth) and 也, which gives its sound.

Open 地 →

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

The origin is uncertain. One explanation combines 八 (division) and 亏 (exhaled air) to show smooth speech.

Open 平 →

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 線; 线 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糹Written in full as糸mì
Sound part声符shēngfú
泉
泉quán線xiàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 線 uses 糹 (silk/thread) to show the meaning and 泉 to suggest the sound; the simplified 线 is a later shorthand.

Open 线 →
Appears in
Geography & Landforms

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