杭

háng

亢 + 木

Definitions

Háng (noun) Hangzhou (city in Zhejiang province)

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 木 represents the meaning and 亢 represents the sound.

Semantic: 木 Phonetic: 亢

About

杭 is a phono-semantic compound: 木 (mù), meaning 'wood', indicates the general semantic category, while 亢 (kàng) provides the sound. In ancient usage, it referred to crossing a body of water in a wooden vessel, such as a boat or pontoon. While this sense is now obsolete, the character is best known as the abbreviation for Hangzhou, a major eastern Chinese city that was historically the Grand Canal's southern terminus and a flourishing center of trade.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

杭州是个美丽的城市。

Hángzhōu shì gè měilì de chéngshì.

Hangzhou is a beautiful city.

我去过杭州两次。

Wǒ qùguò Hángzhōu liǎng cì.

I have been to Hangzhou twice.

杭州的西湖风景很美。

Hángzhōu de Xī Hú fēngjǐng hěn měi.

The scenery of West Lake in Hangzhou is very beautiful.

这种杭椒不是很辣。

Zhè zhǒng háng jiāo bù shì hěn là.

This kind of Hangzhou pepper is not very spicy.

我们坐飞机去杭州旅行。

Wǒmen zuò fēijī qù Hángzhōu lǚxíng.

We travel to Hangzhou by plane.

杭白菊茶有清凉的功效。

Háng báijú chá yǒu qīngliáng de gōngxiào.

Hangzhou white chrysanthemum tea has a cooling effect.

如果你到杭州，可以参观灵隐寺。

Rúguǒ nǐ dào Hángzhōu, kěyǐ cānguān Língyǐn Sì.

If you go to Hangzhou, you can visit Lingyin Temple.

杭甬铁路大大促进了两地的经济交流。

Háng Yǒng tiělù dàdà cùjìnle liǎng dì de jīngjì jiāoliú.

The Hangzhou-Ningbo railway has greatly promoted economic exchange between the two places.

Related Characters

Component: 亢

Component: 木

杭