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离岸 (lí àn) — (attributive) offshore

Definition

A financial/attributive term meaning 'offshore' — refers to accounts, investment, or business registered in another country, often for tax or regulatory reasons. Used as a modifier before a noun (离岸账户, 离岸业务).

adjective
(attributive) offshore

Examples

  • 离岸。
    Zhè jiā gōng sī zhuān mén zuò lí àn yè wù.
    This company specializes in offshore business.
  • 离岸。
    Tā zài yín háng kāi le yí gè lí àn zhàng hù.
    He opened an offshore account at the bank.
  • 离岸。
    lí àn Tóu zī xū yào jǐn shèn kǎo lǜ.
    Offshore investment requires careful consideration.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

离líleave
岸ànshore

离 岸 joins leaving with the shore, so it describes something offshore.

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 離; 离 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
隹隹zhuībird
Sound part声符shēngfú
离
离lí離lí
Same sound today

The traditional form 離 pairs 隹, a bird, with the sound part 离; the simplified 离 is a shorthand. This form first wrote a black-naped oriole, and the sound was borrowed for 'leave'.

Open 离 →

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
屵屵àncliff
Sound part声符shēngfú
干
干gān岸àn
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

岸 shows 屵, a cliff, next to 干, which gives a clue to the sound; together they point to the edge of land.

Open 岸 →
Appears in
Geography & Landforms

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