海员 (hǎi yuán) — sailor, mariner, seaman

Definition

noun

sailormarinerseaman

Measure word · 个

海员，。
Tā shì yì míng jīng yàn fēng fù de hǎi yuán, qù guò hěn duō guó jiā.
He is an experienced sailor who has been to many countries.
海员。
Zhè qún hǎi yuán zài hǎi shàng gōng zuò le hǎo jǐ gè yuè.
This group of sailors has been working at sea for several months.
，海员。
Bào fēng yǔ lái lín shí, hǎi yuán men bì xū xùn sù xíng dòng.
When the storm comes, the sailors must act quickly.

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.

A 海员 is a member (员) associated with the sea (海), i.e. a sailor.

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.

氵每海

Meaning part形符xíngfú

氵Written in full as水shuǐwater

Sound part声符shēngfú

每

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.

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 員; 员 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

〇

〇líng員yuán

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

In the traditional form 員, 〇 supplies the sound and 鼎 supplies the meaning; the simplified 员 is a shortened form.

Appears in