矿坑 (kuàng kēng) — (mining) mine pit, pit (in a mine)

Definition

A compound word for an open excavation in a mine — the pit itself, not the whole mine (which is 矿). Often refers to abandoned or hazardous pits.

noun

(mining) mine pitpit (in a mine)

Measure word · 个

Examples

矿坑，。
Zhè ge kuàng kēng hěn shēn, yào xiǎo xīn.
This mine pit is very deep; be careful.
矿坑。
Gōng rén men zhèng zài kuàng kēng lǐ gōng zuò.
The workers are working in the mine pit.
矿坑。
Fèi qì de kuàng kēng zhōu wéi lā le jǐng jiè xiàn.
Warning tape was put up around the abandoned mine pit.

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.

矿kuàngmine

坑kēngpit

矿 means mine, and 坑 means pit; together they refer to a pit in a mine.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 礦; 矿 is its simplified writing.

石廣礦

Meaning part形符xíngfú

石石shístone

Sound part声符shēngfú

廣

廣guǎng礦kuàng

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

The traditional form 礦 shows 石, meaning stone, beside 廣, which gives the sound. The simplified 矿 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the original parts.

Open 矿 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

亢土坑

Meaning part形符xíngfú

土土tǔsoil

Sound part声符shēngfú

亢

亢kàng坑kēng(r)

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The current form 坑 uses 土 (soil) for the meaning and 亢 for the sound.

Open 坑 →

Appears in