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航天员 (háng tiān yuán) — astronaut

Definition

noun
astronaut
Measure word · 位

Examples

  • 航天员。
    Zhōng guó háng tiān yuán chéng gōng wán chéng le tài kōng rèn wu.
    Chinese astronauts successfully completed the space mission.
  • 航天员。
    háng tiān yuán Zài tài kōng zhōng xū yào zuò hěn duō kē xué shí yàn.
    Astronauts need to do many scientific experiments in space.
  • 航天员。
    Tā cóng xiǎo jiù xiǎng chéng wéi yì míng háng tiān yuán.
    He has wanted to become an astronaut since he was young.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

航天space flight
航hángnavigate天tiānsky
动宾Verb + object
员yuánperson

“航天” refers to space flight, and “员” denotes a person, so the sense is an astronaut.

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 →

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
大大dà
Sound part声符shēngfú
丁
丁dīng天tiān
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The shape comes from a frontal standing man 大 with a head; 天 pairs 大 with 丁 for sound.

Open 天 →

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 員; 员 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
鼎鼎dǐngding
Sound part声符shēngfú
〇
〇líng員yuán
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In the traditional form 員, 〇 supplies the sound and 鼎 supplies the meaning; the simplified 员 is a shortened form.

Open 员 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9

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