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地主 (dì zhǔ) — (historical) landowner, landlord (especially the pre-1949 landowning class); (modern) host (of an event or party)

Definition

地主 has two senses: the historical 'landowner' (pre-1949 land reform) and the modern 'host' of an event. Both readings are pronounced dìzhǔ, with the stress on 地.

noun
(historical) landownerlandlord (especially the pre-1949 landowning class)(modern) host (of an event or party)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 。
    Yǐ qián zhè ge cūn zi lǐ de dà dì zhǔ hěn yǒu qián.
    The big landlord in this village used to be very wealthy.
  • ，地主。
    Tǔ gǎi shí, dì zhǔ de tǔ dì bèi fēn gěi le nóng mín.
    During the land reform, the landlord's land was distributed to the peasants.
  • 地主。
    Tā shì jīn wǎn wǎn huì de dì zhǔ.
    He is the host of tonight's party.

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dìland
主zhǔmaster

地 means land and 主 means master, together naming the master of the land.

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
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 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The old forms that became 主 showed a lamp or torch with a flame at the top; other forms showed wood on fire or a spirit tablet.

Open 主 →
Appears in
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