终点站 (zhōng diǎn zhàn) — terminal station; terminus

Definition

The final stop of a bus, subway, or train line — literally 'endpoint station'. Pair with 起点站 ('starting station') to mark the two ends of a route.

noun
terminal stationterminus
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 终点站。
    Zhè tàng gōng jiāo chē de zhōng diǎn zhàn shì huǒ chē zhàn.
    The terminal stop of this bus is the train station.
  • 终点站，。
    Wǒ men dào zhōng diǎn zhàn le, qǐng dài hǎo suí shēn wù pǐn.
    We have arrived at the terminus; please take your belongings.
  • ，终点站？
    Qǐng wèn, zhè liè dì tiě de zhōng diǎn zhàn shì nǎ yí zhàn?
    Excuse me, which station is the terminal of this subway line?

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.

终点end point
终zhōngend点diǎnpoint
偏正Modifier + head
站zhànstation

终点 means the end point, and 站 means station.

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 終; 终 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糹Written in full as糸mì
Sound part声符shēngfú
冬
冬dōng終zhōng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 終 pairs 糸 (a cord) with 冬 as a sound part; the simplified 终 is a later shorthand. An older form showed a knot at the end of a cord.

Open 终 →

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 點; 点 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
黑黑hēiblack
Sound part声符shēngfú
占
占zhàn點diǎn(r)
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 點 pairs 黑 (black) with 占 for its sound; the simplified 点 is a later abbreviation.

Open 点 →

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
立立lì
Sound part声符shēngfú
占
占zhàn站zhàn
Same sound today

站 has 立 on the left and 占 on the right; 立 relates to standing, and 占 gives the sound.

Open 站 →
Appears in
Trains & Transit

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