暗号 (àn hào) — secret signal, code, or cipher | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

暗号 (àn hào) is a prearranged secret signal — a word, phrase, or gesture shared only between trusted parties to identify each other or pass information covertly.

noun

secret signalcodeor cipher

Examples

暗号。
Tā men yòng àn hào lái chuán dì qíng bào.
They used secret signals to transmit intelligence.
暗号。
Zhè ge àn hào zhǐ yǒu wǒ men liǎng gè rén zhī dào.
This code is known only to the two of us.
，暗号。
Jiē tóu de shí hou, tā shuō chū le zhèng què de àn hào.
When making contact, he said the correct countersign.

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.

暗ànsecret

暗 gives a sense of secrecy, and 号 is a signal or code; together they name a secret signal.

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.

日音暗

Meaning part形符xíngfú

日日rìsun

Sound part声符shēngfú

音

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

暗 pairs 日 (sun) with 音, which gives the sound.

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

口丂号

口口kǒumouth
丂丂kǎoexhaled air; a tiger's cry

The shape 号 comes from 口, a mouth, and 丂, exhaled air or a tiger's cry.

Appears in

Mail & Messaging

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