特快专递 (tè kuài zhuān dì) — express mail service, special delivery

Definition

noun
express mail servicespecial delivery
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 特快专递。
    Wǒ zuó tiān yòng tè kuài zhuān dì jì le yí fèn zhòng yào wén jiàn.
    I sent an important document by express mail yesterday.
  • 特快专递。
    tè kuài zhuān dì De fèi yòng bǐ pǔ tōng yóu jiàn guì hěn duō.
    The cost of express mail is much more expensive than regular mail.
  • 特快专递。
    Zhè jiā gōng sī tí gōng quán guó fàn wéi de tè kuài zhuān dì fú wù.
    This company provides nationwide express mail service.

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.

特快special express
特tèspecial快kuàifast
偏正Modifier + head
专递special delivery
专zhuānspecial递dìdeliver
偏正Modifier + head

The 特快, special fast, quality of 专递, special delivery, names express mail service.

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
牛牛niúox
Sound part声符shēngfú
寺
寺sì特tè
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The shape combines 牛 (ox) with 寺, which gives the pronunciation; it originally meant a large bull.

Open 特 →

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
忄Written in full as心xīn
Sound part声符shēngfú
夬
夬guài快kuài
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

快 pairs the left part 忄 (full form 心, the heart) with the right part 夬, which gives the sound.

Open 快 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 專; 专 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 專 shows 又, a hand, turning 叀, a spindle; this came to mean gathering several things into one.

Open 专 →

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
辶Written in full as辵chuò
Sound part声符shēngfú
弟
弟dì递dì
Same sound today

递 is built from 辶 (written in full as 辵) and 弟; 辶 is the meaning part and 弟 is the sound part.

Open 递 →

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