巡航导弹 (xún háng dǎo dàn) — cruise missile

Definition

noun

cruise missile

Measure word · 枚

Examples

巡航导弹。
Zhè zhǒng xún háng dǎo dàn de shè chéng fēi cháng yuǎn.
This type of cruise missile has a very long range.
巡航导弹。
Nà ge guó jiā zhèng zài yán zhì xīn xíng xún háng dǎo dàn.
That country is developing a new type of cruise missile.
巡航导弹。
xún háng dǎo dàn Kě yǐ jīng què dǎ jī dì miàn mù biāo.
Cruise missiles can precisely strike ground targets.

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.

巡航cruise

巡xúnpatrol航hángnavigate

联合Coordinate

导弹guided missile

导dǎoguide弹tánprojectile

偏正Modifier + head

巡 and 航 suggest patrolling and voyaging, while 导 and 弹 form a guided projectile.

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.

Open 巡 →

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.

Open 航 →

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 導; 导 is its simplified writing.

道寸導

Meaning part形符xíngfú

寸寸cùnhand

Sound part声符shēngfú

道

道dào導

Same sound today

The traditional form 導 pairs 道 (path) as the sound part with 寸 (hand), giving the sense of leading someone. The simplified 导 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the historical components.

Open 导 →

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 彈; 弹 is its simplified writing.

弓單彈

Meaning part形符xíngfú

弓弓gōng

Sound part声符shēngfú

單

單dān彈tán

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

The traditional form 彈 pairs 弓 (bow) with the sound part 單; the simplified 弹 is a shorthand.

Open 弹 →