幼发拉底河 (Yòu fā lā dǐ hé) — Euphrates River (major river in Western Asia, flowing through Turkey, Syria, and Iraq)

Definition

noun
Euphrates River (major river in Western Asia, flowing through Turkey, Syria, and Iraq)
Measure word · 条

Examples

  • 幼发拉底河。
    Yòu fā lā dǐ hé Shì xī yà zuì zhòng yào de yì tiáo hé liú zhī yī.
    The Euphrates is one of the most important rivers in West Asia.
  • 幼发拉底河。
    Měi suǒ bù dá mǐ yà wén míng jiù fā yuán yú dǐ gé lǐ sī hé yǔ Yòu fā lā dǐ hé zhī jiān.
    Mesopotamian civilization originated between the Tigris and the Euphrates.
  • 幼发拉底河。
    Jìn nián lái Yòu fā lā dǐ hé de shuǐ liàng zhèng zài zhú nián jiǎn shǎo.
    In recent years, the water volume of the Euphrates has been decreasing year by year.

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.

幼发拉底Euphrates
幼yòu发fā拉lā底dǐ
音译Transliteration
河hériver

幼发拉底 spells Euphrates, and 河 means river; together they name the Euphrates.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

幼 is built from 幺, shown as tiny, and 力, shown as strength. 幺 may also contribute the sound.

Open 幼 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 發; 发 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 发 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (爆发, 出发) it is 發; in others (理发, 头发) it is 髮.

The form 發, which 发 stands for in many words, was originally drawn as a bow firing an arrow.

Open 发 →

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
手手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
立
立lì拉lā
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

拉 pairs 手 (hand) with 立, a component that supplies the sound.

Open 拉 →

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
广广guǎngbuilding
Sound part声符shēngfú
氐
氐dī底dǐ
Same sound today

底 pairs 广 (building) with 氐, pointing to the bottom or foundation of a building. Some read 氐 as a bowing figure or tree root, adding a sense of 'down'.

Open 底 →

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
水水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
何
何hé河hé
Same sound today

河 pairs 水 (water) with 何, which gives the sound. The 水 part marks it as a word for a river.

Open 河 →

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