天王星 (Tiān wáng xīng) — Uranus (planet)

Definition

noun

Uranus (planet)

Measure word · 颗

天王星。
Tiān wáng xīng Shì tài yáng xì zhōng lí tài yáng dì qī yuǎn de xíng xīng.
Uranus is the seventh farthest planet from the sun in the solar system.
，天王星。
Yǔ mù xīng hé tǔ xīng bù tóng, Tiān wáng xīng de zì zhuàn zhóu jī hū shì píng tǎng de.
Unlike Jupiter and Saturn, Uranus's rotation axis is almost lying flat.
天王星。
Kē xué jiā tōng guò wàng yuǎn jìng fā xiàn le Tiān wáng xīng.
Scientists discovered Uranus through telescopes.

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.

天王heavenly king

偏正Modifier + head

天王 “heavenly king” + 星 “star”: the planet as the star of the heavenly king.

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

Sound part声符shēngfú

丁

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The shape comes from a frontal standing man 大 with a head; 天 pairs 大 with 丁 for sound.

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 王 comes from a picture of a ritual axe, an object kept near a throne and connected with royal power.

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

The top of 星 is a later simplified form of 晶, twinkling stars; the bottom 生 shows the sound.

Appears in