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垫底 (diàn dǐ) — to come last; to rank at the bottom; to eat a little something beforehand (to stave off hunger); to put something at the bottom; to lay a foundation

Definition

垫底 covers two idiomatic uses: literally 'to put something at the bottom' (same base sense as the verb 垫 'to pad/lay under'), and figuratively 'to rank last'. Also means 'to snack beforehand to stave off hunger'.

verb
to come lastto rank at the bottomto eat a little something beforehand (to stave off hunger)to put something at the bottomto lay a foundation

Examples

  • ，。
    Tā xiān zài xiāng zi lǐ diàn le gè dǐ, zài fàng qí tā dōng xī.
    He first put a layer at the bottom of the box, then put other things in.
  • 垫底。
    Zhè cì kǎo shì tā yòu diàn dǐ le.
    He came last in this exam again.
  • 垫底，。
    Nǐ xiān chī gè miàn bāo diàn dǐ, bié è zhe dù zi.
    Eat a bread first to tide you over, don't be hungry.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

垫diànto put underneath
底dǐbottom

“垫” means to put something underneath, and “底” is the bottom, so the word can mean to put at the bottom or finish last.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 墊; 垫 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
土土tǔearth
Sound part声符shēngfú
執
執zhí墊diàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 墊 pairs 土, showing earth, with 執, providing the sound; this is about 墊, not the simplified 垫.

Open 垫 →

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
广广guǎngbuilding
Sound part声符shēngfú
氐
氐dī底dǐ
Same sound today

底 pairs 广 (building) with 氐, pointing to the bottom or foundation of a building. Some read 氐 as a bowing figure or tree root, adding a sense of 'down'.

Open 底 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Success & Failure

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