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航向 (háng xiàng) — course; heading (of a ship or aircraft)

Definition

noun
courseheading (of a ship or aircraft)

Examples

  • 航向，。
    Chuán zhǎng zhèng zài tiáo zhěng háng xiàng, yǐ bì miǎn bào fēng yǔ.
    The captain is adjusting the course to avoid the storm.
  • 航向。
    Fēi xíng yuán tōng guò yí biǎo pán què rèn le fēi jī de háng xiàng.
    The pilot confirmed the aircraft's heading through the instrument panel.
  • 航向，。
    Zhè sōu chuán piān lí le yù dìng háng xiàng, xū yào lì jí jiū zhèng.
    This ship has deviated from its planned course and needs immediate correction.

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.

航hángnavigation
向xiàngdirection

航 means navigation and 向 means direction, so it names the direction in which a ship or aircraft heads.

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
舟舟zhōuboat
Sound part声符shēngfú
亢
亢kàng航háng
Same sound today

航 shows a boat with 舟, and 亢 gives the character its sound.

Open 航 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

向 originally drew 宀 (house) with 口 to show an echo in a place; later it was used for direction.

Open 向 →
Appears in
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