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海底 (hǎi dǐ) — seabed; seafloor; bottom of the ocean

Definition

noun
seabedseafloorbottom of the ocean

Examples

  • 海底。
    Kē xué jiā zhèng zài tàn suǒ hǎi dǐ de mì mì.
    Scientists are exploring the secrets of the seabed.
  • 海底。
    Xǔ duō shēng wù shēng huó zài hǎi dǐ.
    Many creatures live on the seabed.
  • 海底。
    Tā men zài hǎi dǐ fā xiàn le yì sōu chén chuán.
    They discovered a sunken ship on the seabed.

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.

海hǎisea
底dǐbottom

海 is sea and 底 is bottom, so 海底 is the bottom of the sea.

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
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
每
每měi海hǎi
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

海 pairs 氵 (water) with 每, which gives the sound. The 氵 side shows it is about water.

Open 海 →

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
广广guǎngbuilding
Sound part声符shēngfú
氐
氐dī底dǐ
Same sound today

底 pairs 广 (building) with 氐, pointing to the bottom or foundation of a building. Some read 氐 as a bowing figure or tree root, adding a sense of 'down'.

Open 底 →
Appears in
Geography & Landforms

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