干道 (gàn dào) — main road, arterial road | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

main roadarterial road

Measure word · 条

Examples

干道。
Zhè tiáo gàn dào shì chéng shì zuì zhòng yào de jiāo tōng xiàn lù.
This main road is the most important traffic route in the city.
干道，。
gàn dào Liǎng biān de shāng diàn hěn duō, fēi cháng rè nao.
There are many shops on both sides of the main road, and it's very lively.
干道，。
Zhèng fǔ jì huà kuò jiàn zhè tiáo gàn dào, huǎn jiě jiāo tōng yā lì.
The government plans to widen this main road to relieve traffic pressure.

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 gives the trunk or main sense, and 道 is a road, together a main road.

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

Sound part声符shēngfú

倝

倝gàn乾gān

Same sound today

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

行行xíngstreet

止止zhǐfoot

Sound part声符shēngfú

𩠐

首shǒu道dào

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

Early 道 showed a street 行, a foot 止, and a part written 首 or 𩠐; the right part of 行 later disappeared.

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