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地盘 (dì pán) — territory under one's control; domain; base of operations; operational foothold; (geology) earth's crust; (construction) foundation of a building

Definition

地盘 (dìpán) means 'turf' or 'territory under one's control' — a figurative area of influence, not a literal piece of land. Sense 2 ('operational foothold') and sense 3 ('crust/foundation') are technical or literal extensions of this core idea.

noun
territory under one's controldomainbase of operationsoperational foothold(geology) earth's crust(construction) foundation of a building
Measure word · 块

Examples

  • 地盘，。
    Zhè piàn xiǎo qū shì tā men de dì pán, wài rén bù néng suí biàn jìn rù.
    This neighborhood is their turf; outsiders can't just enter casually.
  • 地盘。
    Zhè jiā gōng sī zài dōng nán yà de shì chǎng dì pán yuè lái yuè wěn gù.
    This company's market foothold in Southeast Asia is becoming increasingly solid.
  • 地盘。
    Dì zhèn shí dì qiào de dì pán huì fā shēng yí dòng.
    During an earthquake, the earth's crust shifts.

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dìground
盘pánplate/base

The 'ground' part combines with 'plate/base' to suggest a controlled area or foothold.

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 →

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 盤; 盘 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
皿皿mǐn
Sound part声符shēngfú
般
般bān盤pán
Same sound today

The traditional form 盤 pairs 般, which gives the sound, with 皿, a vessel. This note is about 盤, not the simplified 盘.

Open 盘 →
Appears in
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