原址 (yuán zhǐ) — original address; former location; the same address (unchanged, e.g. after reconstruction)

Definition

Refers to a building or institution's original or previous physical site — useful for noting where something used to be or that it has been rebuilt in place. A bookish, formal noun.

noun
original addressformer locationthe same address (unchanged, e.g. after reconstruction)

Examples

  • ，原址。
    Zhè jiā gōng sī yǐ jīng bān zǒu le, yuán zhǐ xiàn zài shì yì jiā kā fēi guǎn.
    This company has moved away; the original address is now a café.
  • 原址。
    Sì miào zài huǒ zāi hòu yú yuán zhǐ chóng jiàn.
    The temple was rebuilt on the same site after the fire.
  • 原址，。
    Bó wù guǎn de yuán zhǐ zài shì zhōng xīn, dàn xiàn zài yǐ jīng bān qiān dào jiāo qū.
    The museum's original address was in the city center, but it has now moved to the suburbs.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

原yuánformer
址zhǐsite

原 means former or original, and 址 means site or address, together naming the original location.

Characters in this word

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

原 combines 泉 (spring) and 厂 (cliff), picturing a spring bursting from a cliff-side, which gives the sense of origin or source.

Open 原 →

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
土土tǔearth
Sound part声符shēngfú
止
止zhǐ址zhǐ
Same sound today

址 pairs 土 (earth) with 止, which gives the sound. The 土 part points to ground or foundation.

Open 址 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.