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空地 (kòng dì) — vacant land; open space

Definition

A piece of unused, open ground — like a vacant lot or empty patch, often in or near a built-up area. 场地 is ground prepared for a specific activity (sports, events); 空地 is just empty land.

noun
vacant landopen space
Measure word · 块

Examples

  • 空地。
    Zhè kuài kòng dì kě yǐ jiàn yí gè xīn gōng yuán.
    This vacant land can be used to build a new park.
  • 空地筝。
    Hái zi men zài kòng dì shàng fàng fēng zheng.
    The children are flying kites on the open ground.
  • 空地。
    Xiǎo qū hòu miàn yǒu yí kuài kòng dì kě yǐ tíng chē.
    There is a vacant lot behind the residential area where you can park.

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.

空kōngvacant
地dìland

空 vacant and 地 land combine to mean land left vacant, an open space.

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
穴穴xuécave, hole
Sound part声符shēngfú
工
工gōng空kōng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

空 is built from 穴, a cave or hole, and 工, which gives the sound.

Open 空 →

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
HSK 3.0 Level 6City & UrbanGeography & Landforms

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