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原野 (yuán yě) — open country, field, plain

Definition

Literary word for a vast, open expanse of countryside — more expansive and written than 田野 (cultivated fields). Refers to untamed natural terrain, not farmland.

noun
open countryfieldplain
Measure word · 片

Examples

  • 原野，。
    Zhè piàn yuán yě yí wàng wú jì, jǐng sè fēi cháng zhuàng lì.
    This open country stretches as far as the eye can see, with magnificent scenery.
  • ，原野。
    Chūn tiān lái le, yuán yě shàng de yě huā dōu kāi le.
    Spring has come, and the wildflowers are blooming all over the field.
  • 原野，。
    Tā men kāi chē chuān guò guǎng kuò de yuán yě, xīn qíng shí fēn shū chàng.
    They drove across the vast plain, feeling completely at ease.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

原yuánplain
野yěopen country

原 and 野 both refer to open land, together meaning plains or open country.

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
田田tiánfield
土土tǔearth
Sound part声符shēngfú
予
予yǔ野yě
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

野 combines 田 (field) above 土 (earth) to show open country, with 予 giving the sound.

Open 野 →
Appears in
Geography & Landforms

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