总长 (zǒng zhǎng) — total length | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

total length

总长。
Zhè tiáo gōng lù de zǒng zhǎng shì yì bǎi gōng lǐ.
The total length of this highway is 100 kilometers.
。
Zhè sōu chuán de zǒng zhǎng yǒu èr bǎi mǐ.
This ship has a total length of 200 meters.
。
Zhè ge gōng chéng de zǒng zhǎng shì sān nián.
The total length of this project is three years.

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.

总, total, specifies 长, length, to mean the full measured length.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 總; 总 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

糸糸mìrope

Sound part声符shēngfú

悤

悤cōng總zǒng

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

The traditional form 總 has 糸, a rope, and 悤 as a sound part; the rope part is for binding together. This account is for 總, not for 总.

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 長; 长 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 長 pictures an old man with long hair. The simplified 长 is a later shorthand, so its strokes do not show that original picture.

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