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堤坝 (dī bà) — dam, dike

Definition

堤坝 is the general compound for water-control embankments and dams. 堤 (dī) alone emphasizes the embankment/levee along a riverbank; 坝 (bà) leans toward the dam structure itself.

noun
damdike
Measure word · 座

Examples

  • 堤坝。
    Zhè ge dī bà de xiū jiàn huā le sān nián shí jiān.
    The construction of this dam took three years.
  • 堤坝。
    Měi nián yǔ jì qián dōu yào jiǎn chá dī bà.
    The dam must be inspected before the rainy season every year.
  • 堤坝。
    Hóng shuǐ sǔn huài le zhè duàn dī bà.
    The flood damaged this section of the dam.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

堤dīembankment
坝bàdam

堤 and 坝 both name barriers built against water, so the word means a dam or dike.

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tǔsoil
Sound part声符shēngfú
是
是shì堤dī
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The left part 土 shows it relates to soil or earth, while the right part 是 gives the sound.

Open 堤 →

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 壩; 坝 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
土土tǔearth
Sound part声符shēngfú
霸
霸bà壩bà
Same sound today

The traditional form 壩 has 土, earth, and 霸 as its sound; the simplified 坝 is a shorthand, and its right side is not the historical component.

Open 坝 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6

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