宇航员 (yǔ háng yuán) — astronaut | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

astronaut

Measure word · 位

Examples

宇航员。
Tā cóng xiǎo jiù xiǎng dāng yǔ háng yuán.
He has wanted to become an astronaut since childhood.
宇航员。
Zhōng guó dì yī wèi yǔ háng yuán shì yáng lì wěi.
China's first astronaut was Yang Liwei.
宇航员。
Hěn duō yǔ háng yuán zài tài kōng zhàn gōng zuò.
Many astronauts work at the space station.

Origin

Derived word

构词法gòucífǎ

后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

宇航spaceflight

宇yǔspace航hángflight

偏正Modifier + head

宇 (space) and 航 (flight) form spaceflight, with 员 indicating a person.

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.

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

舟亢航

Meaning part形符xíngfú

舟舟zhōuboat

Sound part声符shēngfú

亢

亢kàng航háng

Same sound today

航 shows a boat with 舟, and 亢 gives the character 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 員; 员 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

鼎鼎dǐngding

Sound part声符shēngfú

〇

〇líng員yuán

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

In the traditional form 員, 〇 supplies the sound and 鼎 supplies the meaning; the simplified 员 is a shortened form.

Appears in

Space Exploration Professions & Jobs

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