方向舵 (fāng xiàng duò) — rudder (of an aircraft) | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

方向舵 (fāngxiàngduò) means 'rudder' specifically on an aircraft — the hinged vertical surface on the tail that the pilot uses to steer left and right.

noun

rudder (of an aircraft)

Examples

方向舵，。
Fēi xíng yuán tiáo zhěng le fāng xiàng duò, ràng fēi jī zhuǎn xiàng.
The pilot adjusted the rudder to make the plane turn.
方向舵，。
Fēi jī shàng de fāng xiàng duò shī líng le, fēi cháng wēi xiǎn.
The rudder on the plane malfunctioned, which was very dangerous.
方向舵。
Wéi xiū gōng rén zhèng zài jiǎn chá fāng xiàng duò.
The maintenance worker is checking the rudder.

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.

方向direction

方fāngdirection向xiàngdirection

联合Side by side

方向 'direction' and 舵 'rudder' combine for a rudder that controls direction.

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

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

宀宀miánhouse
口口kǒumouth

向 originally drew 宀 (house) with 口 to show an echo in a place; later it was used for direction.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

舟它舵

Meaning part形符xíngfú

舟舟zhōuboat

Sound part声符shēngfú

它

它tā舵duò

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

舵 pairs 舟, a boat, with 它, which gives the sound.

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