宇宙飞船 (yǔ zhòu fēi chuán) — spacecraft, spaceship

Definition

noun

spacecraftspaceship

Measure word · 艘

Examples

宇宙飞船1961。
Rén lèi dì yī sōu yǔ zhòu fēi chuán zài 1961 nián fā shè shēng kōng.
The first human spacecraft was launched in 1961.
宇宙飞船，。
Kē xué jiā zhèng zài shè jì gèng kuài de yǔ zhòu fēi chuán, tàn suǒ gèng yuǎn de xīng qiú.
Scientists are designing faster spacecraft to explore more distant planets.
宇宙飞船。
Zhè sōu yǔ zhòu fēi chuán zǎi zhe sān míng yǔ háng yuán fēi wǎng guó jì kōng jiān zhàn.
This spacecraft is carrying three astronauts to the International Space Station.

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.

宇宙universe

宇yǔspace宙zhòutime

联合Coordinate

飞船flying vessel

飞fēifly船chuánship

偏正Modifier + head

The 宇宙, meaning space and time, and the 飞船, meaning flying vessel, together name a spacecraft.

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.

宀于宇

Meaning part形符xíngfú

宀宀miánhouse

Sound part声符shēngfú

于

于yú宇yǔ

Same sound today

宇 pairs 宀, a roof-like shape connected with house parts such as eaves, with 于, which gives the pronunciation.

Open 宇 →

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

宀由宙

Meaning part形符xíngfú

宀宀miánroof

Sound part声符shēngfú

由

由yóu宙zhòu

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

宙 combines 宀 (roof) with 由, which gives the sound. The reference says it originally meant the farthest place accessible by boat or vehicle and later vast space.

Open 宙 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 飛; 飞 is its simplified writing.

For 飞, the traditional form 飛 pictures a bird flying upwards.

Open 飞 →

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

舟舟zhōuboat

Sound part声符shēngfú

㕣

㕣㕣船

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