该行 (gāi háng) — (formal) the said line; this line (referring to a line of text, code, or data)

Definition

A formal written phrase meaning 'this line' or 'the said line', used in technical or official text to point to a specific line. The demonstrative 该 (formal 'the said') plus 行 ('line') replaces plain 这一行 in writing.

pronoun
(formal) the said linethis line (referring to a line of text, code, or data)

Examples

  • 该行。
    Qǐng zǐ xì yuè dú gāi háng de nèi róng.
    Please read the content of this line carefully.
  • 该行。
    gāi háng De dài mǎ xū yào xiū gǎi.
    The code on this line needs to be modified.
  • 该行。
    Yǐ shàng fēn xī jī yú gāi háng de shù jù.
    The above analysis is based on the data in this line.

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.

该gāithis
行xíngline

The line referred to is this line.

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 該; 该 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yán
Sound part声符shēngfú
亥
亥hài該gāi
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 該 pairs 言 (speech) with 亥 as a sound part; the simplified 该 is a shorthand, so its parts are not the historical components.

Open 该 →

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

  • 彳彳chì
  • 亍亍chù

The shape of 行 originally showed a street intersection, even on both sides. Later it became uneven, with 彳 on the left and 亍 on the right.

Open 行 →

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