塌陷 (tā xiàn) — to collapse; to cave in; to sink

Definition

verb

to collapseto cave into sink

塌陷。
Dì miàn tū rán tā xiàn le.
The ground suddenly caved in.
塌陷。
Nà zuò lǎo fáng zi zài bào yǔ hòu tā xiàn le.
That old house collapsed after the heavy rain.
塌陷，。
Dào lù xià fāng tā xiàn, xíng chéng le yí gè dà kēng.
The road caved in underneath, forming a big pit.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

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

塌tācollapse

Both 塌 and 陷 describe falling or sinking, giving collapse or cave-in.

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.

土𦐇塌

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.

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

阜阜fù

Sound part声符shēngfú

臽

臽xiàn陷xiàn

Same sound today

In 陷, the older form 臽 pictured falling into a trap; 阜 was added later to differentiate it.

Appears in