蓝天 (lán tiān) — blue sky | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

blue sky

Measure word · 片

Examples

蓝天。
Jīn tiān de lán tiān zhēn měi.
Today's blue sky is really beautiful.
蓝天。
Tā huà le yì fú lán tiān bái yún de huà.
He painted a picture of blue sky and white clouds.
蓝天。
Fēi jī zài lán tiān zhōng fēi xíng.
The airplane is flying in the blue sky.

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.

蓝 gives blue and 天 gives sky, forming blue sky.

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 藍; 蓝 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

艸艸cǎograss

Sound part声符shēngfú

監

監jiān藍lán

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

For 蓝, the traditional form 藍 has 艸, grass, above 監, which gives the sound.

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

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.

Appears in

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