子午线

子午線
zǐwǔxiàn
noun #35,199

Measure Word

Meanings

  1. 1 meridian (line of longitude)
  2. 2 north-south line

Examples

HSK 6
Tāmen yánzhe zǐwǔxiàn cèliáng.
They measured along the meridian.
HSK 7-9
格林尼治子午线是零度经线。
Gélínnízhì zǐwǔxiàn shì língdù jīngxiàn.
The Greenwich Meridian is the zero-degree line of longitude.

Tips

memory
子 and 午 are the first and seventh of the 12 earthly branches 地支, traditionally used to mark midnight (子时, north) and noon (午时, south). 子午线 is therefore literally the 'midnight-noon line,' i.e. the north-south line - exactly what a meridian is.

Stroke Order

子 zǐ
午 wǔ
线 xiàn