地铁站 (dì tiě zhàn) — subway station | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

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.

土也地

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.

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.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

立占站

Meaning part形符xíngfú

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.

Appears in

Trains & Transit

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