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探险家 (tàn xiǎn jiā) — explorer

Definition

noun
explorer
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 探险家。
    Zhè wèi tàn xiǎn jiā fā xiàn le yí gè xīn de dòng xué.
    This explorer discovered a new cave.
  • 探险家。
    Hěn duō tàn xiǎn jiā xǐ huan qù nán jí tàn xiǎn.
    Many explorers like to go on expeditions to the South Pole.
  • 探险家，。
    Tā shì yí wèi zhù míng de tàn xiǎn jiā, qù guò hěn duō dì fāng.
    He is a famous explorer who has been to many places.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

探险explore danger
探tànexplore险xiǎndanger
动宾Verb + object
家jiāperson

The danger-seeking sense of 探险, with 家, names an explorer.

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shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
𥥍
𥥍𥥍探tàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 探, the 扌 part is a hand, and 𥥍 gives the sound.

Open 探 →

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 險; 险 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
阝Written in full as阜fù
Sound part声符shēngfú
僉
僉qiān險
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 險 pairs 阝, written in full as 阜, with 僉, which gives the sound; the simplified 险 is a shorthand.

Open 险 →

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
宀宀miánroof
Sound part声符shēngfú
𢑓
𢑓𢑓家jiā
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The early drawing of 家 showed a roof 宀 over a male-pig sign 𢑓 that gave the pronunciation; the lower part later changed shape.

Open 家 →
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