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地质学家 (dì zhì xué jiā) — geologist

Definition

noun
geologist
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 地质学家。
    Zhè wèi dì zhì xué jiā yán jiū le hěn duō nián.
    This geologist has been researching for many years.
  • 地质学家。
    Yí wèi zhù míng de dì zhì xué jiā fā xiàn le xīn de huà shí.
    A famous geologist discovered a new fossil.
  • 地质学家。
    Nà wèi dì zhì xué jiā zhèng zài yě wài gōng zuò.
    That geologist is working in the field.

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.

地质geology
地dìearth质zhìsubstance
偏正Modifier + head
学家scholar
学xuéstudy家jiāexpert
偏正Modifier + head

地质 names the earth-substance field, and 学家 names the scholar; together they mean a geologist.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 質; 质 is its simplified writing.

  • 斦斦yín
  • 貝貝bèi

The traditional form 質 is made up of 貝 and 斦; this describes 質, not the simplified 质.

Open 质 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 學; 学 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 學 may have used 爻 and 六 for sound, with hands and a child added later; the simplified 学 is a shorthand.

Open 学 →

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
宀宀miánroof
Sound part声符shēngfú
𢑓
𢑓𢑓家jiā
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The early drawing of 家 showed a roof 宀 over a male-pig sign 𢑓 that gave the pronunciation; the lower part later changed shape.

Open 家 →
Appears in
Professions & JobsScience (General)

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