密探 (mì tàn) — secret agent, spy | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

secret agentspy

Measure word · 个

密探。
Zhè ge mì tàn zài dí fāng nèi bù qián fú le shí nián.
This secret agent has been undercover inside the enemy camp for ten years.
密探，。
Diàn yǐng lǐ de mì tàn zǒng shì dài zhe mò jìng, kàn qǐ lái hěn shén mì.
The secret agent in the movie always wears sunglasses and looks very mysterious.
密探。
Jǐng fāng huái yí tā shì dí fāng pài lái de mì tàn.
The police suspect he is a spy sent by the enemy.

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.

密 means secret, and 探 refers to a spy.

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.

宓山密

Meaning part形符xíngfú

山山shānmountain

Sound part声符shēngfú

宓

宓mì密mì

Same sound today

密 pairs 山 (mountain) with 宓 (mì), which gives the pronunciation, to picture something hidden in the mountains, hence secret.

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

扌Written in full as手shǒuhand

Sound part声符shēngfú

𥥍

𥥍𥥍探tàn

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

In 探, the 扌 part is a hand, and 𥥍 gives the sound.

Appears in