何在 (hé zài) — (formal, literary) where?; what place?; (formal…

Definition

Formal/literary 'where?' or 'what is the reason?' — only used in writing or set phrases like 原因何在, not in everyday speech.

verb

(formal, literary) where?what place?(formal, literary) what is the reason? (in fixed patterns like 原因何在)

何在？。
Tā de jiā hé zài? wǒ zhǎo bú dào nà ge dì zhǐ.
Where is his home? I can't find that address.
何在？。
Zhè cì shì gù de yuán yīn hé zài? xū yào zǐ xì diào chá.
What is the reason for this accident? It needs careful investigation.
，何在？
Miàn duì zhè yàng de bào xíng, zhèng yì hé zài?
In the face of such violence, where is justice?

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

主谓zhǔwèiSubject + predicate

A small sentence frozen into a word: something, and what it does or is.

何héwhere/what reason

在zàilie/exist

何在 pairs 何, meaning 'where/what reason', with 在, meaning 'lie/exist', to ask where something is or what reason exists.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

The old form of 何 drew a person carrying something on their shoulder. If the carried thing was a 戈, the 人 and 戈 parts together showed that picture.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

The early form of 在 used 才 for its sound; a second sound part 士 was added later, and that 士 became the 土 seen in 在.

Appears in