滩头 (tān tóu) — beachhead | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

滩头 (tāntóu) is a military term for a 'beachhead' — the stretch of beach where troops land and secure a position before pushing inland.

noun

beachhead

Measure word · 个

滩头。
Jūn duì zài tān tóu jiàn lì le zhèn dì.
The army established a position on the beachhead.
滩头。
Tā men cóng tān tóu xiàng dí rén fā qǐ jìn gōng.
They launched an attack from the beachhead against the enemy.
滩头。
Zhè piàn tān tóu shì dēng lù de lǐ xiǎng dì diǎn.
This beachhead is an ideal location for landing.

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.

The 头 edge or head of a 滩 beach names a beachhead.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 灘; 滩 is its simplified writing.

氵難灘

Meaning part形符xíngfú

氵Written in full as水shuǐwater

Sound part声符shēngfú

難

難nán灘tān

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

In the traditional form 灘, 氵 (water) marks the meaning and 難 gives the sound; the simplified 滩 is a shorthand.

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 頭; 头 is its simplified writing.

豆頁頭

Meaning part形符xíngfú

頁頁yèhead

Sound part声符shēngfú

豆

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

The traditional form 頭 shows 頁, meaning head, beside 豆 as a sound component; the simplified 头 is a later shorthand.