腾飞 (téng fēi) — to rise rapidly; to soar (often used figuratively for economic development, career advancement, etc.)

Definition

腾飞 (téngfēi) means 'to soar' — a vivid, often figurative verb for rapid, powerful rise (economies, careers, ambitions). More literary and dramatic than plain verbs like 发展 ('to develop').

verb
to rise rapidlyto soar (often used figuratively for economic development, career advancement, etc.)

Examples

  • 腾飞。
    Niǎo cóng shù lín lǐ téng fēi qǐ lái.
    The bird soared up from the woods.
  • 腾飞。
    Zhè ge dì qū de jīng jì jìn nián lái gāo sù téng fēi.
    The economy of this region has been rapidly soaring in recent years.
  • 腾飞。
    Tā de gōng sī zài wǔ nián nèi téng fēi wèi háng yè lǐng xiù.
    His company soared to become an industry leader within five years.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

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

腾téngrise
飞fēifly

腾飞 combines 腾 and 飞, two images of rising and flying, for a rapid soar.

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 騰; 腾 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
馬馬mǎhorse
Sound part声符shēngfú
朕
朕zhèn騰téng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 騰 pairs 馬 (horse) with 朕 as a sound part; it described a horse's gallop or prance. The simplified 腾 is a later shorthand.

Open 腾 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 飛; 飞 is its simplified writing.

For 飞, the traditional form 飛 pictures a bird flying upwards.

Open 飞 →

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