高速路 (gāo sù lù) — highway, expressway

Definition

noun

highwayexpressway

Measure word · 条

高速路，。
Jīn tiān wǒ men kāi chē shàng le gāo sù lù, sù dù hěn kuài.
Today we drove onto the expressway and the speed was fast.
高速路。
Zhè tiáo gāo sù lù lián jiē le liǎng gè chéng shì.
This expressway connects two cities.
高速路。
Cóng běi jīng dào tiān jīn zǒu gāo sù lù zhī xū yào yí gè xiǎo shí.
Taking the expressway from Beijing to Tianjin only takes an hour.

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.

高速high speed

偏正Modifier + head

高 (high) and 速 (speed) make 高速, a high-speed 路 (road).

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.

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

Sound part声符shēngfú

各

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

路 combines 足, a foot, with 各, which supplies the sound.

Appears in