岛 dǎo island
How it came to be
A bird over a mountain: an island. Sailors knew land was there before they saw it, because birds came down onto it. The character records the sighting, not the rock.
How it is used
- An island - 海岛 (hǎidǎo) sea island, 半岛 (bàndǎo) peninsula, 岛屿 (dǎoyǔ) islands (collectively), 群岛 (qúndǎo) archipelago.
- Measure word 座: 一座小岛 (yí zuò xiǎo dǎo) a small island. 孤岛 (gūdǎo) = an isolated island, often figurative.