荒漠 (huāng mò) — desert; wilderness; desolate expanse | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

desertwildernessdesolate expanse

Measure word · 片

Examples

荒漠。
Zhè piàn huāng mò jī hū kàn bú dào rèn hé zhí wù.
You can barely see any plants in this desert.
荒漠。
Tàn xiǎn duì chuān yuè le guǎng kuò de huāng mò.
The expedition crossed the vast wilderness.
荒漠。
Qì hòu biàn nuǎn dǎo zhì huāng mò miàn jī bú duàn kuò dà.
Global warming is causing the desert area to keep expanding.

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.

荒huāngdesolate

漠mòdesert

荒 gives desolation, and 漠 names a wide dry expanse.

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.

艹巟荒

Meaning part形符xíngfú

艹Written in full as艸cǎograss, plant

Sound part声符shēngfú

巟

巟huāng荒huāng

Same sound today

荒 is built from 艹 (grass, plant) and 巟, with 巟 giving the sound huāng.

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

莫

莫mò漠mò

Same sound today

漠 pairs 水 (water) with 莫 as the sound part. The water part shows the meaning is connected to water.

Appears in

Geography & Landforms

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