坝 (bà) — dam; dike; embankment
Definition
坝 is a dam or embankment — larger than 堤, which is more often a riverside levee. The two combine in 堤坝.
noun
damdikeembankment
Measure word · 条
Examples
- 坝。Zhè ge bà néng fáng zhǐ hóng shuǐ.This dam can prevent floods.
- 坝。Cūn mín yì qǐ xiū jiàn le zhè ge bà.The villagers built this dam together.
- 坝。Rén men zài bà shàng sàn bù.People take a walk on the dam.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost 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 壩; 坝 is its simplified writing.
The traditional form 壩 has 土, earth, and 霸 as its sound; the simplified 坝 is a shorthand, and its right side is not the historical component.
Appears in
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