经纬

經緯

jīngwěi

noun #63,110

Meanings

1 warp and weft (of fabric)
2 longitude and latitude
3 the main threads (of a matter)
4 to administer (literary)

Characters

warp; longitude; to pass through

Examples

地图上的经纬线帮助我们确定位置。

Dìtú shang de jīngwěi xiàn bāngzhù wǒmen quèdìng wèizhi.

The lines of longitude and latitude on a map help us determine position.

这部小说描绘了那个时代的经纬。

Zhè bù xiǎoshuō miáohuì le nà ge shídài de jīngwěi.

This novel depicts the fabric of that era.

织布机上的经纬交错成布。

Zhī bù jī shang de jīngwěi jiāocuò chéng bù.

On the loom, warp and weft interweave into cloth.

Tips

memory

经 runs vertical (think of the long 'main' threads on a loom running top-to-bottom, like lines of longitude), 纬 runs horizontal (the crosswise threads, like lines of latitude).

usage

Often appears compounded: 经纬线 (lines of latitude and longitude), 经纬度 (coordinates), 经纬万端 ('endlessly complex affairs').

Stroke Order

经 jīng

纬 wěi