拖曳 (tuō yè) — to drag, pull, or tow

Definition

拖曳 (tuōyè) is a formal/literary verb meaning to drag or tow, used in writing about vehicles, ships, and machinery. Colloquial speech usually prefers 拉.

verb
to dragpullor tow

Examples

  • 拖曳。
    Chuán bèi tuō yè jìn le gǎng kǒu.
    The ship was towed into the harbor.
  • ，拖曳。
    Chē huài le, xū yào tuō yè zǒu.
    The car broke down and needed to be towed away.
  • 拖曳。
    Tuō lā jī zhèng zài tuō yè tuō chē.
    The tractor is towing the trailer.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

拖tuōdrag
曳yèpull

拖 and 曳 both mean to drag, so 拖曳 means to tow.

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
手手shǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
它
它tā拖tuō
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

拖 uses 手 to show an action done with the hand, and 它 to give its sound.

Open 拖 →

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

  • 𦥑𦥑𦥑two hands
  • 人人rénperson

曳 may show 𦥑 (two hands) dragging 人 (a person).

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