炮艇 (pào tǐng) — gunboat

Definition

noun
gunboat
Measure word · 艘

Examples

  • 炮艇。
    Nà sōu pào tǐng zhèng zài hǎi shàng xún luó.
    That gunboat is patrolling at sea.
  • ,炮艇。
    Lì shǐ shàng, pào tǐng cháng bèi yòng yú jiāng hé zuò zhàn.
    Historically, gunboats were often used in river warfare.
  • 炮艇。
    Zhè sōu pào tǐng zhuāng bèi le zuì xīn de dǎo dàn xì tǒng.
    This gunboat is equipped with the latest missile system.

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.

炮 and 艇 combine to mean a boat armed with guns.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
Sound part声符shēngfú
包
包bāo炮pào
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

炮 combines 火 and 包; 包 supplies the sound.

Open 炮 →

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

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.

Open 艇 →

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