链 (liàn) — chain; cable length (unit of maritime measurement)
Definition
noun
chaincable length (unit of maritime measurement)
Measure word · 条
Easily confused
- 连liánlook-alike(verb) to connect; to join; to link
- 练liànsound-aliketo practice, to train (a skill)
- 恋liànsound-alike(bound form) to love; to be fond of
- 炼liànsound-aliketo refine (skills, writing, etc.)
- 楝liànsound-alikechinaberry tree (Melia azedarach)
- 殓liànsound-alike(bound form) to encoffin, to lay a corpse in a coffin
Examples
- 链。Zhè tiáo jīn liàn shì tā sòng gěi wǒ de.This gold chain was given to me by him.
- 链，。Zì xíng chē de liàn duàn le, xū yào xiū.The bicycle chain broke and needs repair.
- 。Tā yòng yì gēn tiě liàn bǎ mén suǒ zhù.He locked the door with an iron chain.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost 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 鏈; 链 is its simplified writing.
Sound part声符shēngfú
連
連lián鏈liàn
Same sound today
The traditional form 鏈 pairs 金 (metal) with 連, which gives the sound; the simplified 链 is a shorthand and its parts are not the historical parts.
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