机场
jīchǎng · HSK 1
airport
✈️ 机场 = machine (机) + field/place (场); machine-place = airport
机 means machine, short for 飞机 (airplane, lit. flying machine). 场 is a field, ground, or open place — also seen in 操场 (playground) and 市场 (market). Together: the place for planes.
场 — earth 土 + 昜 (bright/rising)
Originally a flat open ground used for sun-drying grain or for ritual offerings, hence 土 'earth' as the meaning component. 昜 supplies the sound and hints at an open, sunlit space. The meaning broadened to any open area or venue, and as cháng it still refers to a threshing floor or a session/spell of something.
jī chǎng · HSK 3
airport
✈️ 机场 = 机 (machine) + 场 (field) — machine-field where planes land
机 also appears in 飞机 (airplane, lit. fly-machine) and 机器 (machine). 场 means field or open ground, also in 操场 (playground) and 市场 (market). Together: the field for flying machines.
场 — earth 土 + 昜 (bright/rising)
Originally a flat open ground used for sun-drying grain or for ritual offerings, hence 土 'earth' as the meaning component. 昜 supplies the sound and hints at an open, sunlit space. The meaning broadened to any open area or venue, and as cháng it still refers to a threshing floor or a session/spell of something.