地壳 (dì qiào) — earth's crust | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

earth's crust

Examples

地壳。
dì qiào Shì dì qiú zuì wài miàn de yī céng.
The earth's crust is the outermost layer of the Earth.
地壳。
dì qiào Shì yóu yán shí zǔ chéng de.
The earth's crust is made up of rock.
地壳。
dì qiào De yí dòng huì dǎo zhì dì zhèn.
Movement of the earth's crust can cause earthquakes.

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 means earth and 壳 means shell, giving the earth's shell or crust.

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.

土也地

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.

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 殼; 壳 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

㱿

㱿㱿殼ké(r)

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

The traditional form 殼 is built from 几 (the meaning part) and 㱿 (the sound part); the simplified 壳 is a later shorthand.

Appears in

Geography & Landforms

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.