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边境线 (biān jìng xiàn) — border line, boundary line

Definition

noun
border lineboundary line
Measure word · 条

Examples

  • 边境线。
    Liǎng guó zhī jiān de biān jìng xiàn hěn cháng.
    The border line between the two countries is very long.
  • 边境线。
    Shì bīng men yán zhe biān jìng xiàn xún luó.
    The soldiers patrol along the border line.
  • 边境线。
    Zhè tiáo biān jìng xiàn huà fēn le bù tóng de xíng zhèng qū.
    This border line divides different administrative regions.

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.

边境border
边biānborder境jìngboundary
联合Coordinate
线xiànline

边境 names the boundary and 线 marks it as a 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 邊; 边 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
辶Written in full as辵chuòwalking; movement
Sound part声符shēngfú
臱
臱mián邊biān(r)
Same sound today

The traditional form 邊 pairs 辶 (walking; movement) with the sound part 臱; the simplified 边 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the original parts.

Open 边 →

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
土土tǔearth
Sound part声符shēngfú
竟
竟jìng境jìng
Same sound today

境 pairs 土 (earth) with 竟, which gives the sound; the 土 part carries the meaning.

Open 境 →

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
Geography & Landforms

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