奠定 (diàn dìng) — (formal) to lay (a foundation); to establish (a… | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Used in formal writing for laying a foundation or basis — stronger and more figurative than 建立/设立. Pairs with 基础/地位 as its object.

verb

(formal) to lay (a foundation)to establish (a basis or status)

Examples

奠定。
Zhè xiàng xié yì diàn dìng le liǎng guó cháng qī hé zuò de jī chǔ.
This agreement laid the foundation for long-term cooperation between the two countries.
奠定。。
Tā de fā míng diàn dìng le tā zài kē jì jiè de dì wèi. kē jì jiè de quán wēi dì wèi.
His invention established his authoritative status in the tech community.
奠定。
Zhè cì xuǎn jǔ diàn dìng le xīn zhèng dǎng de zhèng zhì jī chǔ.
This election laid the political foundation for the new party.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

奠diànlay down

定dìngsettled

“奠” (lay down) and “定” (settled) combine to mean establishing something firmly.

Characters in this word

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

奠 originally pictured an alcohol vessel placed on a mat.

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mián

Sound part声符shēngfú

正

正zhèng定dìng

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

定 is built from 宀 and 正, with 正 supplying the sound.

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 7-9 HSK 2.0 Level 6

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