qú
衢
canal, ditch; main road (lit.)
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
2 senses · 5 examplesnoun
canal; ditch; channel; waterway
Commonly used in compounds referring to irrigation or drainage systems.
Nóng农
mín民
men们
wā挖
le了
yī一
tiáo条
shuǐ水
qú渠
lái来
guàn灌
gài溉
dào稻
tián田
。
The farmers dug a canal to irrigate the rice paddies.
Zhè这
tiáo条
gōu沟
qú渠
shì是
yòng用
lái来
pái排
hóng洪
de的
。
This ditch is used for flood drainage.
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Wǒ我
men们
xū需
yào要
shū疏
tōng通
qú渠
dào道
de的
dǔ堵
sè塞
。
We need to clear the blockage in the channel.
noun
main road; thoroughfare; highway
literaryLiterary usage (书), often seen in classical texts. The example 通渠 refers to a main thoroughfare connecting different areas.
Tōng通
qú渠
jiǔ九
jīng经
，
wěi纬
jiǔ九
guǐ轨
。
（
xíng形
róng容
dū都
chéng城
dào道
lù路
kuān宽
kuò阔
）
The thoroughfares connected the nine main roads, and the cross streets were nine tracks wide (describing the broad roads of the capital).
Gǔ古
dài代
tōng通
qú渠
shì是
lián连
jiē接
chéng城
shì市
de的
zhòng重
yào要
dào道
lù路
。
In ancient times, thoroughfares were important roads connecting cities.