破冰船 (pò bīng chuán) — icebreaker (ship); (figurative) icebreaker — a person or action that breaks down barriers or deadlock

Definition

A compound noun built from 破 (break) + 冰 (ice) + 船 (ship). Literally an icebreaker vessel; figuratively, a person or action that breaks through deadlock or social barriers.

noun
icebreaker (ship)(figurative) icebreaker — a person or action that breaks down barriers or deadlock
Measure word · 艘

Examples

  • 破冰船。
    Zhè sōu pò bīng chuán zhèng zài běi jí zhí xíng rèn wu.
    This icebreaker is on a mission in the Arctic.
  • 破冰船，。
    pò bīng chuán De chuán tǐ tè bié jiān gù, néng pò kāi hòu hòu de bīng céng.
    The hull of an icebreaker is especially strong and can break through thick ice layers.
  • ，破冰船。
    Zài tán pàn zhōng, tā bàn yǎn le pò bīng chuán de jué sè.
    In the negotiations, he played the role of an icebreaker.

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.

破冰break ice
破pòbreak冰bīngice
动宾Verb + object
船chuánship

破 means break, 冰 is ice, and 船 is the vessel that performs the action.

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
石石shí
Sound part声符shēngfú
皮
皮pí破pò
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

破 has 石 (stone) as its meaning part and 皮 as its sound part.

Open 破 →

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
水水shuǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
冫
仌bīng冰bīng
Same sound today

冰 adds 水 (water) to 冫, the short form of 仌; 冫 gives the sound, and 水 shows the meaning.

Open 冰 →

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
㕣
㕣㕣船
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

船 pairs 舟 (boat) with 㕣 for its sound.

Open 船 →

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