大面积 (dà miàn jī) — large area; extensive expanse (of land, surface, etc.)

Definition

A compound noun meaning 'large area' — used to describe something (damage, coverage, vegetation) that extends across a broad surface. Functions as an attributive modifier before a noun, with or without 的.

noun
large areaextensive expanse (of land, surface, etc.)

Examples

  • 大面积。
    Zhè chǎng huǒ zāi shāo huǐ le dà miàn jī de sēn lín.
    This fire burned a large area of forest.
  • 大面积。
    Zhè ge chéng shì yǒu dà miàn jī de lǜ dì gōng yuán.
    This city has large tracts of green parks.
  • 大面积。
    Kōng qì wū rǎn yǐng xiǎng le dà miàn jī de dì qū.
    Air pollution affected a large area.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

大dàlarge
面积area
面miànsurface积jīaccumulation
偏正Modifier + head

大 means large, 面积 means area, so the word refers to a large area.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The form 大 is a picture of a person standing and facing forward, not of someone stretching their arms.

Open 大 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

面 originally drew a man’s face, with one eye exaggerated; the horizontal stroke was added later.

Open 面 →

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 積; 积 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
禾禾hé
Sound part声符shēngfú
責
責zé積jī
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 積 pairs 禾 (grain) with 責, which gives the sound; the simplified 积 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the historical parts.

Open 积 →

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