堤防 (dī fáng) — dike, embankment, levee

Definition

堤防 (dīfang) is the standard noun for an artificial riverbank or levee built to hold back floodwater. In everyday speech it is often shortened to 坝 in casual reference, but 堤防 is the formal, technical term.

noun
dikeembankmentlevee
Measure word · 条
Easily confused

Examples

  • 堤防。
    Xiū dī fáng shì fáng zhǐ hóng shuǐ de zhòng yào cuò shī.
    Building dikes is an important measure to prevent floods.
  • 堤防。
    Tā men yán zhe hé biān jiàn le yí dào jiān gù de dī fáng.
    They built a sturdy embankment along the river.
  • 堤防。
    Zhè duàn dī fáng xū yào jiā gù cái néng dǐ dǎng gèng dà de shuǐ liú.
    This section of the levee needs reinforcement to withstand a stronger current.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

堤dīdike
防fángembankment

“堤” dike and “防” embankment are parallel flood barriers.

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tǔsoil
Sound part声符shēngfú
是
是shì堤dī
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The left part 土 shows it relates to soil or earth, while the right part 是 gives the sound.

Open 堤 →

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
阝Written in full as阜fù
Sound part声符shēngfú
方
方fāng防fáng
Same sound today

防 pairs 阝 (written fully as 阜) with 方, which gives the sound.

Open 防 →

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