运河 yùnhé canal
How to remember 运河: 运 transport + 河 river = canal.
Characters
How it is used
- A canal - a man-made waterway - 京杭大运河 (Jīng-Háng Dà Yùnhé) the Grand Canal; 苏伊士运河 the Suez Canal.
- Refers specifically to artificial channels for shipping/transport, unlike 河 (a natural river).
- Concrete geography noun; 运 (transport) signals its purpose - moving boats and goods, historically vital to trade.
Example sentences
- 这艘船穿过巴拿马运河 Zhèsōu chuán chuānguò bānámǎyùnhéThe ship went through the Panama Canal.
- 这艘船太大，没法通过运河。 Zhèsōu chuántàidà, méifǎ tōngguò yùnhé.This ship is too big to pass through the canal.