孔洞 (kǒng dòng) — hole, cavity, opening (in a solid object or surface)

Definition

noun
holecavityopening (in a solid object or surface)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 孔洞。
    Qiáng shàng chū xiàn le yí gè kǒng dòng.
    A hole appeared in the wall.
  • 孔洞。
    Zhè kuài yán shí shàng yǒu hěn duō kǒng dòng.
    This rock has many cavities.
  • 孔洞。
    Gōng chéng shī yòng tè shū cái liào tián bǔ le nà ge kǒng dòng.
    The engineer filled that hole with special material.

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.

孔kǒnghole
洞dòngcavity

孔 and 洞 both denote an opening, together forming a general word for a hole.

Characters in this word

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

  • 丿丿piěopening
  • 子子zǐchild

孔 pairs 丿 (an opening) with 子 (a child), showing an opening in a newborn's skull.

Open 孔 →

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
水水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
同
同tóng洞dòng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

洞 combines 水 (water) with 同, which gives the sound tóng.

Open 洞 →

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