海啸 (hǎi xiào) — tsunami | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

tsunami

Measure word · 次

海啸，。
hǎi xiào Fā shēng hòu, xǔ duō rén shī qù le jiā yuán.
After the tsunami struck, many people lost their homes.
海啸。
Yán hǎi guó jiā jiàn lì le hǎi xiào yù jǐng xì tǒng.
Coastal countries have established tsunami warning systems.
海啸。
Zhè chǎng hǎi xiào shì yóu hǎi dǐ dì zhèn yǐn qǐ de.
This tsunami was triggered by an undersea earthquake.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

主谓zhǔwèiSubject + predicate

A small sentence frozen into a word: something, and what it does or is.

啸xiàoroar

The sea roars, a vivid name for a tsunami.

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 嘯; 啸 is its simplified writing.

口肅嘯

Meaning part形符xíngfú

口口kǒumouth

Sound part声符shēngfú

肅

肅sù嘯xiào

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

The traditional form 嘯 pairs 口 (mouth) with 肅, which supplies the sound.

Appears in