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地震 (dì zhèn) — to have an earthquake; to earthquake

Definition

Used as both a noun meaning 'earthquake' and a verb meaning 'to have an earthquake / an earthquake occurs.' In writing and news it's often the noun form.

verb
to have an earthquaketo earthquake

Examples

  • 地震，？
    Zuó tiān wǎn shàng dì zhèn le, nǐ gǎn jué dào le ma?
    There was an earthquake last night. Did you feel it?
  • 地震，。
    Nà ge dì qū jīng cháng dì zhèn, suǒ yǐ fáng zi jiàn dé hěn jiē shi.
    That region often has earthquakes, so the houses are built very solidly.
  • 地震，。
    Rú guǒ dì zhèn le, jì de duǒ zài zhuō zi xià miàn.
    If an earthquake occurs, remember to hide under a table.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
主谓zhǔwèiSubject + predicate

A small sentence frozen into a word: something, and what it does or is.

地dìearth
震zhènshake

The part 地 means earth, and 震 means shake, so the word describes the earth shaking.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
雨雨yǔ
Sound part声符shēngfú
辰
辰chén震zhèn
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

震 combines 雨 (rain) with 辰 (chén), which gives the sound; 雨 is the part associated with the character’s meaning.

Open 震 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 5HSK 2.0 Level 5Safety & Danger5000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

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