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板块 (bǎn kuài) — (geology) tectonic plate; (fig.) sector, segment (of the stock market, industry, or economy); slab (of stone, concrete, etc.)

Definition

板块 mainly means a 'sector' or 'segment' (industry, market, geology). For a stage or step in a process, prefer 环节.

noun
(geology) tectonic plate(fig.) sectorsegment (of the stock market, industry, or economy)slab (of stone, concrete, etc.)
Measure word · 块

Examples

  • 板块板块。
    Tài píng yáng bǎn kuài hé měi zhōu bǎn kuài jiāo jiè chù jīng cháng fā shēng dì zhèn.
    Earthquakes often occur at the boundary between the Pacific Plate and the American Plate.
  • 板块，。
    Zuì jìn xīn néng yuán bǎn kuài zhǎng le hěn duō, tóu zī zhě hěn guān zhù.
    The new energy sector has risen a lot recently, and investors are paying close attention.
  • 。
    Gōng dì shàng duī zhe jǐ kuài shuǐ ní bǎn kuài.
    A few concrete slabs are piled up at the construction site.

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.

板bǎnboard
块kuàiblock

The first part means board, and the second means block; together they describe a large flat piece, such as a tectonic slab.

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
木木mùtree
Sound part声符shēngfú
反
反fǎn板bǎn
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

板 pairs 木 (tree) with 反 as a sound part.

Open 板 →

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 塊; 块 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
土土tǔearth; dust
Sound part声符shēngfú
鬼
鬼guǐ塊kuài
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 塊 pairs 土 (earth; dust) with 鬼 as a sound part to show a clod of dirt. The simplified 块 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the historical pieces.

Open 块 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Economy & TradeGeography & Landforms

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