战地 (zhàn dì) — battlefield; combat zone

Definition

noun
battlefieldcombat zone
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 战地。
    Jì zhě zài zhàn dì cǎi fǎng le qián xiàn shì bīng.
    The journalist interviewed frontline soldiers on the battlefield.
  • 战地。
    Zhè zuò yī yuàn yuán shì zhàn dì yī liáo duì lín shí dā jiàn de.
    This hospital was originally a temporary setup by a battlefield medical team.
  • ,战地。
    Zhàn zhēng jié shù hòu, zhàn dì fù jìn chóng jiàn le jiā yuán.
    After the war ended, homes were rebuilt near the combat zone.

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.

战zhànbattle
地dìground

战 (battle) and 地 (ground) form the place where fighting occurs.

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
Sound part声符shēngfú
占
占zhàn战zhàn
Same sound today

战 pairs 占, which gives its sound, with 戈, a weapon.

Open 战 →

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 →

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