水资源 (shuǐ zī yuán) — water resources

Definition

noun
water resources

Examples

  • 水资源。
    Quán qiú shuǐ zī yuán fēn bù hěn bù jūn héng.
    Global water resources are very unevenly distributed.
  • 水资源。
    Jié yuē shuǐ zī yuán shì měi gè rén de zé rèn.
    Conserving water resources is everyone's responsibility.
  • 水资源。
    Zhè ge dì qū miàn lín yán zhòng de shuǐ zī yuán duǎn quē.
    This region faces a severe shortage of water resources.

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.

水shuǐwater
资源
资zīresources源yuánsource
联合Side by side

水 means water and 资源 means resources, giving water resources.

Characters in this word

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

水 is a simple drawing of water flowing.

Open 水 →

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 資; 资 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
貝貝bèishell-money
Sound part声符shēngfú
次
次cì資zī
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 資 puts 次 above 貝, a shell-money sign, to write property or resource; 次 supplies the sound. The simplified 资 is a shorthand, so do not treat its parts as historical.

Open 资 →

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
水水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
原
原yuán源yuán
Same sound today

源 combines 水 (water) and 原 (origin): 水 points to water, and 原 gives the sound.

Open 源 →

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