津梁 (jīnliáng): bridge

Meanings

1 bridge
2 ford and bridge (lit.)
3 guide / means of getting through (fig.)

Characters

津

Examples

翻译是连接两种文化的津梁。

Fānyì shì liánjiē liǎng zhǒng wénhuà de jīnliáng.

Translation is the bridge connecting two cultures.

这本书可作为入门佛学的津梁。

Zhè běn shū kě zuòwéi rùmén Fóxué de jīnliáng.

This book can serve as a guide for getting started in Buddhist studies.

Tips

register

Literary/written. The literal meaning is 'ferry crossing (津) and bridge (梁)'; in modern use it's almost always metaphorical — a means, a guide, a way through. Preface and academic prose love this word.

memory

津 = ford / river crossing (also the abbreviation for Tianjin 天津), 梁 = beam / bridge. Travelers in old China relied on either a ford or a bridge to cross water; the compound stands for 'whatever gets you across'.