青草地 (qīng cǎo de) — grassy area; lawn

Definition

noun
grassy arealawn
Measure word · 片

Examples

  • 青草地，。
    Gōng yuán lǐ yǒu yí piàn qīng cǎo de, hái zi men zài shàng miàn wán shuǎ.
    There is a grassy area in the park where children play.
  • 青草地。
    Zhè dòng bié shù qián miàn yǒu yí kuài xiū jiǎn zhěng qí de qīng cǎo de.
    There is a neatly trimmed lawn in front of this villa.
  • ，青草地。
    Yǔ hòu, qīng cǎo de shàng sàn fā chū qīng xīn de cǎo xiāng.
    After the rain, the grassy area gives off a fresh scent of grass.

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.

青草green grass
青qīnggreen草cǎograss
偏正Modifier + head
地dìground

青草 (green grass) and 地 (ground) combine to describe a ground covered with grass.

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.

An early form of 青 combined 生 and 井, both used for sound; the modern form has changed.

Open 青 →

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
艹Written in full as艸cǎograss; plant
Sound part声符shēngfú
早
早zǎo草cǎo
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

草 pairs 艹 (grass; plant) with 早, which gives the sound. The form originally referred to another word and was later used for the grass sense.

Open 草 →

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 →

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