Meaning
台风 refers to a typhoon, which is a tropical cyclone that occurs in the Western Pacific Ocean. It's the same weather phenomenon as a hurricane, but the term 'typhoon' is specifically used for storms in the Pacific region affecting East and Southeast Asia.
Usage
This word is commonly used in weather forecasts, news reports, and everyday conversation, especially in coastal regions of China. Native speakers often discuss typhoons during summer and autumn when these storms are most frequent. The word can be used with measure words when counting specific typhoon events.
Examples
- 01今年夏天有好几场台风袭击了沿海地区。.Several typhoons hit the coastal areas this summer.
- 02气象局发布了台风预警，提醒大家做好防范准备。, .The meteorological bureau issued a typhoon warning, reminding everyone to prepare for prevention.
Characters
Measure words
- 场一场台风
- 次三次台风
- 个几个台风
Common collocations
- 台风来了the typhoon is coming
- 台风登陆typhoon makes landfall
- 台风警报typhoon warning
- 台风季节typhoon season
Origin
The word 台风 is derived from the Cantonese pronunciation of 'big wind' (大风), which was transliterated into English as 'typhoon' and then back into Mandarin using these characters. The traditional character 颱 was specifically created for this weather phenomenon.