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香港 (Xiāng gǎng) — Hong Kong

Definition

noun
Hong Kong

Examples

  • 香港。
    Wǒ míng nián xiǎng qù Xiāng gǎng lǚ yóu.
    I want to travel to Hong Kong next year.
  • 香港。
    Xiāng gǎng Shì yí gè guó jì huà dà dū shì.
    Hong Kong is an international metropolis.
  • 香港。
    Tā lái zì Xiāng gǎng.
    He comes from Hong Kong.

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.

香xiāngfragrant
港gǎngharbor

香 means fragrant and 港 means harbor, naming the place.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

香's early form paired 黍 (glutinous millet) with 口 (mouth), perhaps showing millet drink being taken in or offered.

Open 香 →

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
水水shuǐriver; water
Sound part声符shēngfú
巷
巷xiàng港gǎng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

港 uses 水 (river; water) to show its meaning and 巷 to give its sound.

Open 港 →
Appears in
China — Places

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