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礁石 (jiāo shí) — reef

Definition

noun
reef
Measure word · 块

Examples

  • 礁石。
    Zhè zuò jiāo shí fēi cháng wēi xiǎn.
    This reef is very dangerous.
  • 礁石。
    Yú chuán zài jiāo shí fù jìn tíng le xià lái.
    The fishing boat stopped near the reef.
  • 礁石。
    Hǎi dǐ de jiāo shí xíng chéng le tiān rán píng zhàng.
    The reef on the seabed forms a natural barrier.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

礁jiāoreef
石shírock

礁 (reef) and 石 (rock) combine to refer to rocky reefs in the sea.

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shírock
Sound part声符shēngfú
焦
焦jiāo礁jiāo
Same sound today

礁 pairs 石, rock, with 焦, which gives the sound.

Open 礁 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 石 shows a stone under a cliff-like overhang, or a cave set into a cliff side.

Open 石 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Geography & Landforms

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