地契 (dì qì) — title deed for land | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

title deed for land

Measure word · 张

Examples

地契。
Zhè zhāng dì qì shì zǔ shàng chuán xià lái de.
This title deed was passed down from our ancestors.
地契。
Tā bǎ dì qì suǒ zài bǎo xiǎn guì lǐ.
He locked the title deed in the safe.
地契。
Mǎi dì zhī qián yí dìng yào què rèn dì qì de zhēn shí xìng.
Before buying land, you must confirm the authenticity of the title deed.

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 (land) and 契 (deed) combine to mean a deed for 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.

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.

㓞大契

Meaning part形符xíngfú

大大dàperson

Sound part声符shēngfú

㓞

㓞㓞契qì

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

契 pairs 大 (person) with 㓞, which means 'to engrave,' showing a person making an agreement or carving something with a knife.

Appears in

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