潜艇 (qián tǐng) — submarine | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

submarine

Measure word · 艘

Examples

潜艇。
Zhè sōu qián tǐng shì hǎi jūn zuì zhòng yào de wǔ qì zhī yī.
This submarine is one of the most important weapons of the navy.
潜艇。
Tā men zhèng zài jiàn zào yì sōu xīn xíng qián tǐng.
They are building a new type of submarine.
潜艇。
qián tǐng Zài shuǐ xià kě yǐ yǐn cáng hěn cháng shí jiān.
Submarines can hide underwater for a long time.

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.

潜qiánsubmerged

潜 and 艇 combine as a submerged boat, giving the idea of a submarine.

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 潛; 潜 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

朁

朁cǎn潛qián

Same sound today

The form 潛 has 水 as a meaning part and 朁 as a sound part; this note is about 潛, not the simplified 潜.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

舟廷艇

Meaning part形符xíngfú

舟舟zhōuboat

Sound part声符shēngfú

廷

廷tíng艇tǐng

Same sound today

艇 pairs 舟, meaning boat, with 廷, which gives the sound.

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 7-9 Military & Defense Boats & Water Travel

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