指挥舰 (zhǐ huī jiàn) — command ship, flagship (vessel from which naval operations are directed)

Definition

A warship (舰) that serves as the command center at sea, from which a fleet's operations are directed. Pairs with 舰队 / 司令 in naval contexts.

noun
command shipflagship (vessel from which naval operations are directed)
Measure word · 艘

Examples

  • 指挥舰。
    Jiàn duì sī lìng zài zhǐ huī jiàn shàng zhǐ huī zhěng gè xíng dòng.
    The fleet commander directed the entire operation from the command ship.
  • 指挥舰。
    Zhè sōu zhǐ huī jiàn zhuāng bèi le zuì xiān jìn de tōng xìn xì tǒng.
    This command ship is equipped with the most advanced communication systems.
  • ，指挥舰。
    Yǎn xí kāi shǐ hòu, zhǐ huī jiàn yì zhí tíng zài hǎi yù zhōng yāng.
    After the exercise began, the command ship remained stationed in the center of the sea area.

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.

指挥command
指zhǐdirect挥huīwave
联合Side by side
舰jiànship

指挥 means to direct and command, and 舰 is a ship; together they form a ship used for directing operations.

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
扌Written in full as手shǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
旨
旨zhǐ指zhǐ
Same sound today

The left part 扌 is the hand form 手. The right part 旨 gives the sound.

Open 指 →

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 揮; 挥 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
扌Written in full as手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
軍
軍jūn揮huī
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 揮 pairs 扌 (hand) with 軍 as a sound part; the simplified 挥 is a shorthand, so its right side is not the historical component.

Open 挥 →

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 艦; 舰 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
舟舟zhōu
Sound part声符shēngfú
監
監jiān艦⁰jiàn
Same sound today

The traditional form 艦 pairs 舟 (boat) with 監 to give the sound; the simplified 舰 is a shorthand and its right side is not the historical sound part.

Open 舰 →

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