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航道 (háng dào) — (noun) navigable waterway; shipping channel; (aviation) air route

Definition

noun
navigable waterwayshipping channel(aviation) air route
Measure word · 条

Examples

  • 航道，。
    Zhè tiáo háng dào hěn kuān, kě yǐ zǒu dà xíng huò chuán.
    This channel is very wide and can accommodate large cargo ships.
  • 航道。
    Fēi jī bì xū àn zhào guī dìng háng dào fēi xíng.
    Aircraft must fly along the designated air route.
  • 航道。
    Cháng jiāng shì zhōng guó zuì zhòng yào de nèi hé háng dào zhī yī.
    The Yangtze is one of China's most important inland waterways.

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
道dàowaterway

航 navigation with 道 waterway gives a navigable channel.

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
行行xíngstreet
止止zhǐfoot
Sound part声符shēngfú
𩠐
首shǒu道dào
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

Early 道 showed a street 行, a foot 止, and a part written 首 or 𩠐; the right part of 行 later disappeared.

Open 道 →
Appears in
Boats & Water Travel

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