腹地 (fù dì) — hinterland, interior, heartland (of a region) | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

The inland region behind a coast or border — the interior away from the sea or frontiers. Think of it as 'hinterland': the area deeper inside, not the edge.

noun

hinterlandinteriorheartland (of a region)

Examples

腹地。
Zhè ge guó jiā de fù dì zī yuán fēi cháng fēng fù.
The hinterland of this country has very abundant resources.
腹地，。
Tiě lù xiū dào le xī bù fù dì, dài dòng le jīng jì fā zhǎn.
The railway was built into the western interior, driving economic development.
腹地。
Yán hǎi chéng shì yǔ fù dì zhī jiān de chā jù zhèng zài suō xiǎo.
The gap between coastal cities and the hinterland is narrowing.

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.

地dìregion

The 腹 belly area of a 地 region gives the interior.

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

肉肉ròumeat; flesh

Sound part声符shēngfú

复

复fù腹⁰fù

Same sound today

The left part 肉, meaning flesh, shows this is a body part, and the right part 复 gives the sound.

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

土也地

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.

Appears in

Geography & Landforms

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