坐标 (zuò biāo) — coordinate (position in a system) | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

coordinate (position in a system)

Examples

坐标。
Qǐng bǎ zhè liǎng gè zuò biāo zài tú shàng biāo chū lái.
Please mark these two coordinates on the map.
坐标。
Wǒ men bì xū zài kāi huì qián què dìng měi gè rén de zuò biāo.
We must determine each person's position before the meeting.
坐标。
Wǒ men kě yǐ yòng zhè ge zuò biāo zhǎo dào nà ge dì fāng.
We can use these coordinates to find that place.

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.

坐zuòsitting/position

坐 as sitting or position and 标 as mark combine to name a coordinate.

Characters in this word

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

留留liúto stay
土土tǔground

The form 坐 combines 留, 'to stay', and 土, 'ground'.

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 標; 标 is its simplified writing.

木票標

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

票

票piào標biāo

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 標 pairs 木 with 票, and 票 gives the sound; the simplified 标 is the modern form of that traditional character.

Appears in

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