通信卫星 (tōng xìn wèi xīng) — communication satellite

Definition

noun
communication satellite
Measure word · 颗

Examples

  • 通信卫星。
    Zhōng guó fā shè le yì kē xīn de tōng xìn wèi xīng.
    China launched a new communication satellite.
  • 通信卫星。
    tōng xìn wèi xīng Ràng quán qiú xìn xī chuán dì biàn de gèng kuài.
    Communication satellites make global information transmission faster.
  • 通信卫星。
    Zhè kē tōng xìn wèi xīng fù gài le zhěng gè yà zhōu dì qū.
    This communication satellite covers the entire Asian region.

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.

通信communication
通tōngtransmit信xìnmessage
动宾Verb + object
卫星satellite
卫wèiguard星xīngstar
偏正Modifier + head

通 “transmit” and 信 “message” give 通信 “communication”; 卫 “guard” and 星 “star” give 卫星 “satellite”.

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
辶Written in full as辵chuò
Sound part声符shēngfú
甬
甬yǒng通tōng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

通 pairs 辶, a part associated with movement, with 甬, which gives the sound.

Open 通 →

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
言言yánwords
Sound part声符shēngfú
人
人rén信xìn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

信 pairs 人 as the sound part with 言 (words) as the meaning part.

Open 信 →

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 衛; 卫 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
行行xíng
Sound part声符shēngfú
韋
韋wéi衛wèi
Same sound today

The traditional form 衛 is built from 行 as the sense part and 韋 as the sound part; the simplified 卫 is a shorthand.

Open 卫 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

The top of 星 is a later simplified form of 晶, twinkling stars; the bottom 生 shows the sound.

Open 星 →

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