Meaning
银河 literally means 'silver river' and refers to the Milky Way galaxy. In Chinese culture, the term has been used for over two thousand years to describe the bright band of stars visible across the night sky, which ancient Chinese people thought resembled a celestial river of silver.
Usage
This word is commonly used in both everyday and literary contexts when discussing astronomy or poetic descriptions of the night sky. It appears frequently in classical Chinese poetry and modern science writing. The term can refer specifically to our Milky Way galaxy or more generally to any galaxy in astronomical contexts.
Examples
- 01夏天的晚上，我们能看到银河横跨整个天空。, .On summer nights, we can see the Milky Way stretching across the entire sky.
- 02太阳系位于银河系的边缘。.The solar system is located at the edge of the Milky Way galaxy.
Characters
Measure words
- 条一条银河
Common collocations
- 银河系the Milky Way galaxy (system)
- 璀璨的银河brilliant/dazzling Milky Way
- 银河落九天the Milky Way falls from the ninth heaven (poetic)
Origin
The term dates back to ancient China when people observed the luminous band of stars stretching across the night sky and compared it to a river made of silver. This poetic image has remained the standard term for the Milky Way in Chinese.