栈桥 (zhàn qiáo) — loading pier, platform (extending into water for docking or loading/unloading)

Definition

栈桥 is a pier or platform built out over water, used for loading/unloading ships or boarding boats. Example shows it can also serve as a tourist walkway from shore to moored vessels.

noun
loading pierplatform (extending into water for docking or loading/unloading)
Measure word · 座

Examples

  • 栈桥。
    Zhè sōu lún chuán zhèng tíng kào zài zhàn qiáo páng biān xiè huò.
    This ship is docked next to the loading pier unloading cargo.
  • 栈桥。
    Yóu kè cóng zhàn qiáo zǒu xiàng tíng bó de yóu chuán.
    Tourists walk from the platform toward the moored cruise ship.
  • 栈桥，。
    Zhè ge zhàn qiáo jiàn yú shàng shì jì chū qī, zhì jīn réng zài shǐ yòng.
    This pier was built in the early 20th century and is still in use today.

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.

栈zhànpier/platform
桥qiáobridge

栈 contributes the idea of a loading platform, and 桥 contributes the idea of a bridge-like structure.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 棧; 栈 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
木木mùwood
Sound part声符shēngfú
戔
戔jiān棧zhàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 棧 has a 木 (wood) part and a 戔 part used for its sound; the simplified 栈 is a later shorthand.

Open 栈 →

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 橋; 桥 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
木木mùwood
Sound part声符shēngfú
喬
喬qiáo橋qiáo
Same sound today

The traditional form 橋 pairs 木 (wood) with 喬 (qiáo), which gave the character its sound; the simplified 桥 is a later abbreviation.

Open 桥 →

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