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发源地 (fā yuán dì) — birthplace, place of origin, source

Definition

Literally 'origin place' — used for the geographical or historical source of a river, civilization, religion, or movement (e.g. 长江的发源地). For a product's place of origin, prefer 产地.

noun
birthplaceplace of originsource
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 发源地。
    Cháng jiāng de fā yuán dì zài qīng zàng gāo yuán.
    The source of the Yangtze River is on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.
  • 发源地。
    Zhè zuò gǔ chéng shì fó jiào de fā yuán dì zhī yī.
    This ancient city is one of the birthplaces of Buddhism.
  • 发源地。
    Wén yì fù xīng de fā yuán dì zài yì dà lì.
    The birthplace of the Renaissance is in Italy.

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.

发源originate
发fāoriginate源yuánsource
动宾Verb + object
地dìplace

The 地 where something 发源, or originates, is its birthplace.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 發; 发 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 发 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (爆发, 出发) it is 發; in others (理发, 头发) it is 髮.

The form 發, which 发 stands for in many words, was originally drawn as a bow firing an arrow.

Open 发 →

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
水水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
原
原yuán源yuán
Same sound today

源 combines 水 (water) and 原 (origin): 水 points to water, and 原 gives the sound.

Open 源 →

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
也
也yě地dì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

地 is built from 土 (earth) and 也, which gives its sound.

Open 地 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Abstract Concepts

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