TongTong
Sign in

栖息地 (qī xī dì) — habitat

Definition

noun
habitat

Examples

  • 栖息地。
    Zhè zhǒng niǎo de qī xī dì zhèng zài shòu dào pò huài.
    The habitat of this type of bird is being destroyed.
  • 栖息地。
    Bǎo hù yě shēng dòng wù de qī xī dì shì fēi cháng zhòng yào de.
    Protecting the habitat of wild animals is very important.
  • 栖息地。
    Rén lèi huó dòng yǐ jīng yán zhòng yǐng xiǎng le zhè xiē dòng wù de qī xī dì.
    Human activities have severely affected the habitats of these animals.

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.

栖息perch and rest
栖qīperch息xīrest
联合Coordinate
地dìplace

The 地 where a creature 栖息 is its habitat.

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
西
西xī栖⁰qī
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

栖 is built from 木 (tree) and 西; 木 relates to the meaning, and 西 gives the sound.

Open 栖 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

In 息, 自 is nose and 心 is heart, showing breath or life passing through one's nose.

Open 息 →

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 →
Appears in
BiologyEnvironment & Ecology

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.