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干线 (gàn xiàn) — main line, trunk line (of transportation or communication networks)

Definition

干线 refers to a main or trunk line in transportation, communication, or utility networks (railways, highways, fiber cables). Use it for the primary backbone route, not a local branch.

noun
main linetrunk line (of transportation or communication networks)
Measure word · 条

Examples

  • 干线。
    Zhè tiáo tiě lù gàn xiàn lián jiē le nán běi liǎng gè dà chéng shì.
    This railway trunk line connects two large cities in the north and south.
  • 干线。
    Guó jiā zhèng zài jiàn shè yì tiáo xīn de tōng xìn gàn xiàn.
    The country is building a new communication trunk line.
  • 干线。
    Zhè tiáo gāo sù gōng lù shì xī bù dì qū de jiāo tōng gàn xiàn.
    This expressway is a main transportation artery in the western region.

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.

干gānmain; trunk
线xiànline

干 refers to the main trunk, and 线 refers to a line, together giving a main line.

Characters in this word

The simplified 干 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (饼干, 干杯) it is 乾; in others (干, 干活儿) (干扰) it is 幹 or 干.

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 乾; 干 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
乙乙yǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
倝
倝gàn乾gān
Same sound today
Open 干 →

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 線; 线 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糹Written in full as糸mì
Sound part声符shēngfú
泉
泉quán線xiàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 線 uses 糹 (silk/thread) to show the meaning and 泉 to suggest the sound; the simplified 线 is a later shorthand.

Open 线 →
Appears in
Vehicles

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