海难 (hǎi nàn) — shipwreck; maritime disaster; disaster at sea

Definition

noun

shipwreckmaritime disasterdisaster at sea

海难。
Zhè sōu chuán zài bào fēng yǔ zhōng zāo yù le hǎi nàn.
This ship encountered a shipwreck in the storm.
海难。
Nà cì hǎi nàn zào chéng le xǔ duō rén shī zōng.
That maritime disaster caused many people to go missing.
海难。
Jiù yuán duì zhèng zài diào chá hǎi nàn de yuán yīn.
The rescue team is investigating the cause of the shipwreck.

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.

难nándisaster

海 gives sea and 难 gives disaster, meaning a disaster at sea.

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 難; 难 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

隹隹zhuībird

Sound part声符shēngfú

暵

暵hàn難nán

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional 難 pairs 隹, a bird, with 暵 for sound, and meant a type of bird. It was later borrowed for other meanings; the modern 难 is a shorthand.

Appears in