地铁站 (dì tiě zhàn) — subway station

Definition

noun
subway station
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 地铁站？
    Qǐng wèn dì tiě zhàn zěn me zǒu?
    Excuse me, how do I get to the subway station?
  • 地铁站。
    Tā zài dì tiě zhàn děng le yí gè xiǎo shí.
    He waited for an hour at the subway station.
  • 地铁站。
    Chū le chāo shì wǎng yòu guǎi jiù shì dì tiě zhàn.
    Turn right after leaving the supermarket, and the subway station is right there.

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.

地铁underground rail
地dìunderground铁tiěrail
偏正Modifier + head
站zhànstation

地铁 'underground rail' plus 站 'station' gives a subway station.

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 →

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 鐵; 铁 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
金金jīnmetal
Sound part声符shēngfú
𢧤
𢧤𢧤鐵tiě
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 鐵 pairs 金 (metal) with 𢧤 as a sound part; the simplified 铁 is a later shorthand.

Open 铁 →

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
立立lì
Sound part声符shēngfú
占
占zhàn站zhàn
Same sound today

站 has 立 on the left and 占 on the right; 立 relates to standing, and 占 gives the sound.

Open 站 →
Appears in
Trains & Transit

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