巡洋舰 (xún yáng jiàn) — cruiser (warship) | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

cruiser (warship)

Measure word · 艘

Examples

巡洋舰。
Zhè sōu xún yáng jiàn shì hǎi jūn de zhǔ lì zhàn jiàn.
This cruiser is the main battleship of the navy.
巡洋舰。
Tā céng zài xún yáng jiàn shàng fú yì le sān nián.
He served on a cruiser for three years.
巡洋舰。
Wǒ men cān guān le yì sōu tuì yì de xún yáng jiàn.
We visited a retired cruiser.

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.

巡洋patrol the ocean

巡xúnpatrol洋yángocean

动宾Verb + object

巡 gives patrol, 洋 gives ocean, and 舰 gives ship.

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

辵辵chuòwalk

Sound part声符shēngfú

川

川chuān巡xún

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

巡 pairs 辵, a walking part, with 川 as a sound part.

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

氵羊洋

Meaning part形符xíngfú

氵Written in full as水shuǐwater

Sound part声符shēngfú

羊

羊yáng洋yáng

Same sound today

洋 pairs 氵, the water part, with 羊 to give 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 艦; 舰 is its simplified writing.

舟監艦

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

監

監jiān艦⁰jiàn

Same sound today

The traditional form 艦 pairs 舟 (boat) with 監 to give the sound; the simplified 舰 is a shorthand and its right side is not the historical sound part.

Appears in

Military & Defense

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