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海事 (hǎi shì) — maritime affairs; accident at sea

Definition

noun
maritime affairsaccident at sea

Examples

  • 海事。
    Tā zài hǎi shì jú gōng zuò.
    He works at the maritime affairs bureau.
  • 海事。
    Zuó tiān fā shēng le yì qǐ hǎi shì.
    A maritime accident happened yesterday.
  • 海事。
    Tā zhuān mén yán jiū hǎi shì fǎ lǜ.
    He specializes in maritime law.

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.

海hǎisea
事shìaffair

海 points to the sea and 事 to affairs or events, naming maritime affairs.

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

海 pairs 氵 (water) with 每, which gives the sound. The 氵 side shows it is about water.

Open 海 →

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

In 事, 又 is a hand and 中 is a flagpole with a drum; holding a flag in hand depicts performing a job.

Open 事 →
Appears in
Boats & Water Travel

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