塌方 (tā fāng) — (of earth, rock, or a structure) to cave in, collapse, or landslide

Definition

塌方 means earth, rock, or a man-made structure gives way and collapses (e.g. a mountain road, tunnel, or building). Used as a verb for the event itself or as a noun for the resulting collapse or landslide.

verb
(of earth, rock, or a structure) to cave incollapseor landslide
Easily confused

Examples

  • ，塌方。
    Bào yǔ zhī hòu, zhè duàn shān lù tā fāng le.
    After the heavy rain, this section of the mountain road collapsed.
  • 。
    Zhè tiáo suì dào zài shī gōng shí tā guò yī cì fāng.
    This tunnel caved in once during construction.
  • 塌方。
    tā fāng Shì gù dǎo zhì gōng lù bèi dǔ le sān tiān.
    The landslide accident blocked the highway for three days.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

塌tācollapse
方fāngside/place

塌 conveys collapse, and 方 points to a side or place; together they picture earth or a bank giving way.

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tǔdirt
Sound part声符shēngfú
𦐇
𦐇𦐇塌tā
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

塌 is built from 土 (dirt) and 𦐇, which gives its sound.

Open 塌 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 方 →

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