天空 (tiān kōng) — sky | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

天空 is the everyday noun for 'the sky' as a visible whole. 天 alone is broader (sky, day, or a day-classifier); 空中 and 天上 emphasize 'in the air / the heavens' rather than the sky as a single thing.

noun

sky

Examples

天空。
Wǒ xǐ huan lán lán de tiān kōng.
I like the blue sky.
天空。
Xiǎo niǎo zài tiān kōng lǐ fēi.
Small birds fly in the sky.
天空。
Wǎn shàng de tiān kōng néng kàn dào hěn duō xīng xing.
At night, you can see many stars in the sky.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

空kōngopen space

天 (sky) and 空 (open space) together refer to 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

Sound part声符shēngfú

丁

丁dīng天tiān

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.

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

穴工空

Meaning part形符xíngfú

穴穴xuécave, hole

Sound part声符shēngfú

工

工gōng空kōng

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

空 is built from 穴, a cave or hole, and 工, which gives the sound.

Appears in

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