海军蓝 (hǎi jūn lán) — navy blue

Definition

noun
navy blue

Examples

  • 海军蓝。
    Tā chuān le yí jiàn hǎi jūn lán de qún zi.
    She wore a navy blue skirt.
  • 海军蓝。
    hǎi jūn lán Shì yì zhǒng jīng diǎn de yán sè.
    Navy blue is a classic color.
  • 海军蓝。
    Zhè tiáo wéi jīn shì hǎi jūn lán de.
    This scarf is navy blue.

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.

海军navy
海hǎisea军jūnmilitary
偏正Modifier + head
蓝lánblue

海军 means navy, and 蓝 means blue, together naming the deep blue color associated with naval uniforms.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 軍; 军 is its simplified writing.

  • 車車jūcart; chariot
  • 勹勹bāoto surround

In the traditional form 軍, 車 shows the chariot sense, while the part now written 勹 is a sound part, not the 'surround' 勹. Simplified 军 is a later shorthand.

Open 军 →

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 藍; 蓝 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
艸艸cǎograss
Sound part声符shēngfú
監
監jiān藍lán
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

For 蓝, the traditional form 藍 has 艸, grass, above 監, which gives the sound.

Open 蓝 →

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