跨度 (kuà dù) — span, horizontal distance between vertical supp… | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

跨度 is a noun for the measurable 'span' between two points — a physical distance like a bridge, or a time gap between events. Don't confuse with 跨 (the verb 'to stride over / span'); 纵深 is depth front-to-back, not span side-to-side.

noun

span, horizontal distance between vertical supportstime spanduration

Examples

跨度。
Zhè zuò tǐ yù guǎn de kuà dù shì bā shí mǐ.
The span of this gymnasium is eighty meters.
跨度。
Zhè liǎng gè shì jiàn de shí jiān kuà dù hěn duǎn.
The time span between these two events is very short.
跨度。
Wǒ men xū yào cè liáng yí xià zhè ge qiáo liáng de kuà dù.
We need to measure the span of this bridge.

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.

跨kuàspan across

度dùmeasure

跨 means span across and 度 means measure, so the word names the measured span.

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

Sound part声符shēngfú

夸

夸kuā跨kuà

Same sound today

The left part 足, a foot, points to stepping or striding, while the right part 夸 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

又又yòuhand

Sound part声符shēngfú

石

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

度 has 又 (hand) and a changed form of 石; 石 gives a related sound, and the hand is tied to using the hand as a reference for measurement.

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 7-9

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.