矿 (kuàng) — mine (a place where minerals are extracted); ore; mineral deposit
Definition
矿 is the physical site where ore is extracted — a mine itself. Compare 矿产/矿藏 (mineral resources) and 开采 (the verb 'to mine').
noun
mine (a place where minerals are extracted)oremineral deposit
Measure word · 个
Examples
- 矿。Zhè zuò kuàng yǐ jīng kāi cǎi le èr shí nián.This mine has been mined for twenty years.
- 。Zhè ge dì qū de kuàng chǎn zī yuán fēi cháng fēng fù.The mineral resources in this area are very abundant.
- 矿。Tā men zhèng zài xún zhǎo xīn de kuàng.They are looking for new ore deposits.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost 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.
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.
Appears in
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