海運

かいうん · kaiun · JLPT N1 · noun

transportation system

🚢 海 (sea) + 運 (transport) = transport by sea, i.e. shipping

海 means sea and 運 means carry or transport. Together they name moving goods across the ocean by ship.

海 — water radical 氵 + 每 (phonetic)
海 is a phono-semantic compound. The 氵 (water) radical signals the meaning—a vast body of water—while 每 supplies the sound. Originally referring to the sea or ocean, it later extended figuratively to mean 'vast' or 'a great quantity,' as in 人海 (a sea of people).

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