长距离 (cháng jù lí) — long-distance; long-haul

Definition

idiom
long-distancelong-haul

Examples

  • 。
    Zhè shì yí cì cháng jù lí fēi xíng.
    This is a long-distance flight.
  • 长距离。
    Tā měi tiān cháng jù lí pǎo bù duàn liàn shēn tǐ.
    He runs long distances every day to exercise.
  • 长距离。
    cháng jù lí Yùn shū xū yào hěn duō shí jiān.
    Long-distance transportation takes a lot of time.

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.

长chánglong
距离distance
距jùdistance离líseparation
联合Side by side

“长” means long and “距离” means distance, so it denotes a long distance.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 長; 长 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 長 pictures an old man with long hair. The simplified 长 is a later shorthand, so its strokes do not show that original picture.

Open 长 →

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
足足zúfoot
Sound part声符shēngfú
巨
巨jù距jù
Same sound today

距 puts 足, meaning foot, beside 巨, which gives its sound.

Open 距 →

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 離; 离 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
隹隹zhuībird
Sound part声符shēngfú
离
离lí離lí
Same sound today

The traditional form 離 pairs 隹, a bird, with the sound part 离; the simplified 离 is a shorthand. This form first wrote a black-naped oriole, and the sound was borrowed for 'leave'.

Open 离 →

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