海鳗 (hǎi mán) — conger eel | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

conger eel

Measure word · 条

Examples

海鳗，。
Zhè tiáo hǎi mán hěn dà, yǒu liǎng mǐ cháng.
This conger eel is huge, two meters long.
海鳗。
Wǒ men qù hǎi xiān shì chǎng mǎi le yì tiáo xīn xiān hǎi mán.
We went to the seafood market and bought a fresh conger eel.
海鳗，。
hǎi mán De ròu zhì hěn xiān nèn, shì hé qīng zhēng.
Conger eel meat is very tender, suitable for steaming.

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.

海鳗 is a sea eel, with 海 marking the marine habitat and 鳗 the eel kind.

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

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.

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 鰻; 鳗 is its simplified writing.

魚曼鰻

Meaning part形符xíngfú

魚魚yúfish

Sound part声符shēngfú

曼

曼màn鰻mán

Same sound today

In the traditional form 鰻, the left side 魚 shows it is a kind of fish, and the right side 曼 gives the sound. The simplified 鳗 is a later shorthand.

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