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水路 (shuǐ lù) — waterway, water route

Definition

水路 refers to a route or passage by water (rivers, canals, sea), used mainly for transport or travel. Often contrasted with 陆路 ('overland route') in trade and travel contexts.

noun
waterwaywater route
Measure word · 条

Examples

  • 水路。
    Zhè tiáo shuǐ lù lián jiē le liǎng gè dà chéng shì.
    This waterway connects two big cities.
  • 水路。
    Gǔ dài shāng rén cháng tōng guò shuǐ lù yùn shū huò wù.
    Ancient merchants often transported goods via water routes.
  • 水路，。
    Wǒ men xuǎn zé zǒu shuǐ lù, yīn wèi gèng ān quán.
    We chose to take the water route because it's safer.

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.

水shuǐwater
路lùroute

“水” and “路” form a route over water, a waterway.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

水 is a simple drawing of water flowing.

Open 水 →

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
足足zú
Sound part声符shēngfú
各
各gè路lù
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

路 combines 足, a foot, with 各, which supplies the sound.

Open 路 →
Appears in
Boats & Water Travel

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