地质学 (dì zhì xué) — geology | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

geology

地质学。
Tā dà xué xué de shì dì zhì xué.
He studied geology in college.
。
dì zhì xué Jiā yán jiū dì qiú de yán shí hé kuàng wù.
Geologists study the earth's rocks and minerals.
地质学。
Xué xí dì zhì xué kě yǐ bāng zhù wǒ men liǎo jiě dì qiú de lì shǐ.
Studying geology can help us understand the history of the earth.

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.

地质earth's substance

地dìearth质zhìsubstance

偏正Modifier + head

Earth, substance, and study combine to mean the study of the earth's material structure.

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

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.

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 質; 质 is its simplified writing.

斦貝質

The traditional form 質 is made up of 貝 and 斦; this describes 質, not the simplified 质.

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 學; 学 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 學 may have used 爻 and 六 for sound, with hands and a child added later; the simplified 学 is a shorthand.

Appears in