宝地 (bǎo de) — a place rich in natural resources or valuable products; (honorific) your esteemed place (used to refer to someone's home or location)

Definition

Literally 'treasure land.' Used as a noun for a place rich in resources, and as a polite, honorific way to refer to someone else's home or location.

noun
a place rich in natural resources or valuable products(honorific) your esteemed place (used to refer to someone's home or location)
Measure word · 块

Examples

  • 宝地，。
    Zhè lǐ zì gǔ yǐ lái jiù shì bǎo de, wù chǎn fēng fù.
    This place has been a treasure site since ancient times, with abundant products.
  • 宝地。
    Gǎn xiè nín yāo qǐng wǒ lái nín de bǎo de.
    Thank you for inviting me to your esteemed place.
  • 宝地。
    Nín jiā de bǎo de zhēn shì fēng jǐng yōu měi.
    Your esteemed home is truly scenic.

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.

宝bǎoprecious
地dìplace

宝 adds precious or honorific value, and 地 is a place, yielding a valued site.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 寶; 宝 is its simplified writing.

  • 宀宀miánhouse
  • 琡琡chùjade
  • 貝貝bèicowry

The traditional form 寶 shows 宀 (house), 琡 (jade), and 貝 (cowry), drawn together as treasures in a house.

Open 宝 →

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tǔearth
Sound part声符shēngfú
也
也yě地dì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

地 is built from 土 (earth) and 也, which gives its sound.

Open 地 →

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