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储量 (chǔ liàng) — reserves (of natural resources, oil, coal, etc.)

Definition

储量 is the estimated amount of a resource still in the ground — a technical term, not a synonym of 储备 ('reserves' of supplies/goods) or 库存 ('inventory' of goods on hand).

noun
reserves (of natural resources, oil, coal, etc.)

Examples

  • 储量。
    Zhè ge guó jiā de shí yóu chǔ liàng fēi cháng fēng fù.
    This country's oil reserves are very abundant.
  • 储量。
    Wǒ men yǐ jīng tàn míng le dà liàng de tiān rán qì chǔ liàng.
    We have already proven large natural gas reserves.
  • 储量。
    Méi tàn chǔ liàng de fēn bù hěn bù jūn yún.
    The distribution of coal reserves is very uneven.

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.

储chǔstore
量liángquantity

储 (store) and 量 (quantity) combine to mean a stored amount, such as oil or coal.

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 儲; 储 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
人人rén
Sound part声符shēngfú
諸
諸zhū儲chǔ
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 儲 uses 人 as a person part and 諸 for sound. This describes 儲, not the simplified 储.

Open 储 →

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

  • 日日rìsun
  • 東東dōngbag; east

量 has 日 (sun) over 東 (bag; east). Some explanations suggest measuring under the sun or the sun rising in the east, but the exact origin is unclear.

Open 量 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9

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