岩壁 (yán bì) — cliff; steep rock face; (of rock formations) palisades; wall-like cliffs

Definition

noun
cliffsteep rock face(of rock formations) palisadeswall-like cliffs
Measure word · 面

Examples

  • 岩壁。
    Pān yán yùn dòng yuán zhèng zài dǒu qiào de yán bì shàng pān dēng.
    The rock climber is climbing on the steep cliff face.
  • 岩壁。
    Zhè zuò shān de yán bì bù mǎn le tái xiǎn hé téng wàn.
    The rock face of this mountain is covered with moss and vines.
  • 岩壁，。
    Yán zhe xiá gǔ de yán bì zǒu, kě yǐ kàn dào zhuàng guān de jǐng sè.
    Walking along the rock walls of the canyon, you can see spectacular scenery.

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.

岩yánrock
壁bìwall

岩 names rock and 壁 names a wall, so it means a steep rock wall.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 巖; 岩 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
山山shānmountain
Sound part声符shēngfú
嚴
嚴yán巖yán
Same sound today

The traditional form 巖 combines 山 (mountain) with 嚴, a part that gives the sound; the simplified 岩 is a later shorthand, and its parts are not the original parts.

Open 岩 →

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
辟
辟pì壁bì
Same sound today

壁 combines 土 (earth) and 辟, which gives the sound. The whole means an earthen wall.

Open 壁 →

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