江河 (jiāng hé) — rivers (in general); the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers (the two great rivers of China)

Definition

Literary word for 'rivers' in general, and the cultural shorthand for the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers. Often used figuratively to mean 'great currents of change,' as in 江河日下 (declining day by day).

noun
rivers (in general)the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers (the two great rivers of China)
Measure word · 条

Examples

  • 江河。
    Zhè piàn tǔ dì shàng yǒu xǔ duō měi lì de jiāng hé.
    There are many beautiful rivers on this land.
  • 江河。
    jiāng hé Shì zhōng guó wén huà de yáo lán.
    The Yangtze and Yellow Rivers are the cradle of Chinese culture.
  • ，。
    Gōng sī xiào yì jiāng hé rì xià, ràng yuán gōng men hěn dān xīn.
    The company's performance is deteriorating daily, worrying the employees.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

江jiāngriver
河hériver

江 and 河 both mean river, so together they refer to rivers generally or the two great rivers.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
工
工gōng江jiāng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

江 puts 氵, the water side, beside 工, which gives a sound; the water part points to its river meaning.

Open 江 →

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
水水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
何
何hé河hé
Same sound today

河 pairs 水 (water) with 何, which gives the sound. The 水 part marks it as a word for a river.

Open 河 →

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