地砖 (dì zhuān) — floor tile

Definition

noun
floor tile
Measure word · 块

Examples

  • 地砖。
    Wǒ men zhèng zài tiāo xuǎn dì zhuān de yán sè.
    We are choosing the color of the floor tiles.
  • 地砖，。
    Zhè xiē dì zhuān hěn nài mó, kě yǐ yòng hěn jiǔ.
    These floor tiles are very wear-resistant and can last a long time.
  • 地砖。
    Chú fáng de dì zhuān yào xuǎn fáng huá de.
    The floor tiles in the kitchen should be slip-resistant.

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dìfloor
砖zhuāntile

“地” names the floor and “砖” names a tile, together meaning floor tile.

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 磚; 砖 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
石石shírock
Sound part声符shēngfú
專
專zhuān磚zhuān
Same sound today

The traditional form 磚 uses 石 (rock) for the meaning and 專 for the sound; the simplified 砖 is a shorthand, so its right side is not the original part.

Open 砖 →

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