地穴 (dì xué) — cave, pit, underground hollow

Definition

noun

cavepitunderground hollow

Measure word · 个

地穴。
Tàn xiǎn jiā fā xiàn le yí gè gǔ lǎo de dì xué.
The explorer discovered an ancient cave.
地穴。
Zhè ge dì xué lǐ yǒu hěn duō biān fú.
There are many bats in this cave.
地穴。
Dì zhì xué jiā zhèng zài yán jiū zhè ge dì xué de xíng chéng.
Geologists are studying the formation of this cave.

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.

地 indicates the ground, and 穴 is a cave or hollow, so it names a hole in the earth.

Characters in this word

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

土也地

Meaning part形符xíngfú

土土tǔearth

Sound part声符shēngfú

也

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.

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

穴 possibly comes from a picture of a cave entrance or a door flap, matching meanings such as cave and hole.

Appears in