高速 (gāo sù) — high-speed (adjective) | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Means 'high-speed,' usually for transport or development; 快速 is the more general 'fast/rapid.' Note: 高速公路 is the word for expressway, not 高速 on its own.

adjective

high-speed (adjective)

Examples

高速。
Wǒ zuò gāo sù huǒ chē qù běi jīng.
I take the high-speed train to Beijing.
高速。
Zhè tiáo gāo sù tiě lù cóng shàng hǎi dào nán jīng.
This high-speed railway runs from Shanghai to Nanjing.
高速。
Wǒ men de jīng jì zài gāo sù fā zhǎn.
Our economy is developing at high speed.

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.

高 describes great degree, and 速 refers to speed.

Characters in this word

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

高 was drawn as a tall building.

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

辵辵chuò

Sound part声符shēngfú

束

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

速 pairs 辵, the walking part, with 束, which is used for its sound; the walking part fits the meaning of moving fast.

Appears in

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