绿洲 (lǜ zhōu) — oasis | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

A 绿洲 is an oasis — a small fertile area in a desert where water and plants exist. Unlike 绿地 (any green area like a park), 绿洲 emphasizes water and survival in an otherwise barren place.

noun

oasis

Measure word · 片

Examples

绿洲。
Tā men zài shā mò zhōng fā xiàn le yí gè lǜ zhōu.
They discovered an oasis in the desert.
绿洲。
Zhè ge gōng yuán shì chéng shì zhōng de lǜ zhōu.
This park is an oasis in the city.
绿洲。
Yuè dú jiù xiàng xīn de lǜ zhōu.
Reading is like an oasis for the heart.

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.

绿 means green, and 洲 means land, so the image is a green land in a dry area.

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 綠; 绿 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

糸糸mì

Sound part声符shēngfú

彔

彔lù綠lù

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

The traditional form 綠 uses 糸 to show silk and 彔 for sound; the simplified 绿 is a later abbreviation, so its parts are not the original pieces.

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

州

州zhōu洲zhōu

Same sound today

洲 is built from 水 (water) and 州, which gives the sound.

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 7-9 Geography & Landforms

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