西北部 (Xī běi bù) — northwest (region/area) | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

northwest (region/area)

Examples

西北部。
Zhōng guó de Xī běi bù dì qū qì hòu bǐ jiào gān zào.
The climate in China's northwest region is relatively dry.
西北部。
Zhè ge guó jiā de Xī běi bù yǒu fēng fù de kuàng chǎn zī yuán.
The northwest of this country has abundant mineral resources.
西北部，。
Tā men jì huà qù Xī běi bù lǚ yóu, kàn kàn dà shā mò.
They plan to travel to the northwest to see the great desert.

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.

西北northwest

西xīwest北běinorth

联合Coordinate

“西北部” is the “部” (part or region) that is “西北” (west and north).

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

The form 北 shows two people standing back to back. It originally meant 'back'.

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

Sound part声符shēngfú

咅

咅pǒu部bù

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

部 pairs 咅, which gives the sound, with 邑. It originally named a place in today's Gansu.

Appears in

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