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基建 (jī jiàn) — capital construction; infrastructure

Definition

Short for 基本建设, meaning 'infrastructure' or 'capital construction' — typically the large-scale facilities (roads, power, bridges) a government builds to support the economy.

noun
capital constructioninfrastructure
Measure word · 项

Examples

  • 基建。
    Zhèng fǔ dà lì tuī jìn jī jiàn xiàng mù.
    The government is vigorously promoting infrastructure projects.
  • 基建。
    Zhè ge dì qū de jī jiàn fēi cháng wán shàn.
    The infrastructure in this region is very well-developed.
  • 基建。
    jī jiàn Shì jīng jì fā zhǎn de zhòng yào jī chǔ.
    Infrastructure is an important foundation for economic development.

Origin

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
其
其qí基jī
Same sound today

The lower 土 means earth, and the upper 其 gives the sound; together they form the idea of a foundation of earth.

Open 基 →

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

  • 廴廴yǐn
  • 聿聿yù

The shape 建 shows 廴 and 聿, but it comes from an older drawing of a hand planting a pole into a base; the lower part of 聿 is not a brush.

Open 建 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Buildings & Structures

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