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地表 (dì biǎo) — earth's surface

Definition

noun
earth's surface

Examples

  • 地表。
    Dì zhèn ràng dì biǎo fā shēng le biàn huà.
    The earthquake caused changes to the earth's surface.
  • 地表。
    Kē xué jiā zhèng zài yán jiū dì biǎo de wēn dù biàn huà.
    Scientists are studying temperature changes on the earth's surface.
  • 地表。
    dì biǎo Shàng yǒu xǔ duō bù tóng de dì xíng.
    There are many different terrains on the earth's surface.

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.

地dìearth
表biǎosurface

地 means earth and 表 means surface, together naming the earth's surface.

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.

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 →

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

The shape 表 pairs 衣 (garment) with 毛 (hair or feather), originally an outer garment.

Open 表 →
Appears in
Geography & Landforms

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