底 (dǐ) — bottom, base, sole (of a container, shoe, or structure); end (of a time period, e.g. month or year)
Definition
底 (dǐ) means the bottom of a container, shoe, or structure — and, with a time word, the end of a period (月底, 年底). It refers to a physical or temporal base, not a person's background (背景) or backdrop.
noun
bottombasesole (of a container, shoe, or structure)end (of a time period, e.g. month or year)
Measure word · 个
Easily confused
Examples
- 。Xià ge yuè dǐ wǒ yào qù lǚ xíng.At the end of next month, I'm going traveling.
- 。Hǎi dǐ yǒu hěn duō yú.There are many fish at the bottom of the sea.
- 底。Zhè ge bēi zi dǐ yǒu shuǐ.There is water at the bottom of this cup.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
Sound part声符shēngfú
氐
氐dī底dǐ
Same sound today
底 pairs 广 (building) with 氐, pointing to the bottom or foundation of a building. Some read 氐 as a bowing figure or tree root, adding a sense of 'down'.
Appears in
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