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航线 (háng xiàn) — airline route; shipping route; flight path

Definition

noun
airline routeshipping routeflight path
Measure word · 条

Examples

  • 航线。
    Zhè tiáo háng xiàn lián jiē běi jīng hé niǔ yuē.
    This route connects Beijing and New York.
  • 航线，。
    Xīn de háng xiàn kāi tōng hòu, lǚ xíng shí jiān suō duǎn le.
    After the new route opened, travel time shortened.
  • 航线。
    Zhè tiáo hǎi yùn háng xiàn fēi cháng fán máng.
    This shipping route is very busy.

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
线xiànline

航 navigation and 线 line combine to mean a route for ships or planes.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 線; 线 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糹Written in full as糸mì
Sound part声符shēngfú
泉
泉quán線xiàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 線 uses 糹 (silk/thread) to show the meaning and 泉 to suggest the sound; the simplified 线 is a later shorthand.

Open 线 →
Appears in
Air TravelBoats & Water Travel

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