水运 (shuǐ yùn) — water transport

Definition

Refers to transporting goods or passengers via rivers and seas — distinct from land-based 陆运 and air 航空 (空运) transport.

noun
water transport

Examples

  • 水运。
    shuǐ yùn Shì chéng běn zuì dī de yùn shū fāng shì zhī yī.
    Water transport is one of the lowest-cost modes of transportation.
  • 水运。
    Zhè ge chéng shì yī kào shuǐ yùn fā zhǎn mào yì.
    This city relies on water transport to develop trade.
  • ，水运。
    Jìn nián lái, shuǐ yùn de xiào lǜ yǒu le hěn dà tí gāo.
    In recent years, the efficiency of water transport has greatly improved.

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
运yùntransport

水 and 运 describe transport carried out over water.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 運; 运 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
辵辵chuòmotion
Sound part声符shēngfú
軍
軍jūn運yùn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 運 combines 辵, meaning motion, with 軍 to give the sound; the simplified 运 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the historical components.

Open 运 →

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