港口

• Pinyin: gǎng kǒu
• Hanzi breakdown: 港 = 氵 (water) + 巷 (lane), a harbor; 口 = pictograph of a mouth, meaning opening or entrance

Meaning

Port; harbor. A place where ships load and unload cargo or passengers.

Refers to both natural harbors and constructed ports. Key in trade discussions: 港口城市 (port city), 集装箱港口 (container port), 自由港 (free port). China has many famous ports: 上海港, 深圳港, 宁波港. Related: 机场 (airport) for air, 港口 for sea.

Examples

1. 上海港是世界上最繁忙的集装箱港口之一。 Shanghai Port is one of the busiest container ports in the world.
2. 这座城市因为港口贸易而迅速发展起来。 This city developed rapidly because of port trade.
3. 大雾天气导致港口暂时关闭，数十艘货轮滞留海上。 Dense fog caused the port to temporarily close, leaving dozens of cargo ships stranded at sea.

Usage Guide

Context: trade, transportation, geography

Tone: descriptive

Do Say

• 货物已经运到港口了。(The goods have been shipped to the port.)
• 这是一个天然良港。(This is a natural good harbor.)

Don't Say

• 把机场说成港口 (Don't confuse 港口 (seaport) with 机场 (airport) — they're different transportation hubs)

Origin & History

Compound of 港 (harbor, port) + 口 (mouth, opening). 港 combines 氵 (water) with 巷 (lane), suggesting a water passage; 口 refers to the entrance/opening.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal