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
格林尼治子午线零度经线
Gélínnízhì zǐwǔxiàn shì língdù jīngxiàn.
The Greenwich Meridian is the zero-degree line of longitude.

Tips

memory
and 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

线 xiàn