探矿 (tàn kuàng) — to prospect for minerals, to explore for mineral deposits

Definition

A specialized verb meaning 'to prospect for minerals' — searching an area for ore deposits, usually as professional geological work. Pairs with 勘探 in formal/scientific writing.

verb
to prospect for mineralsto explore for mineral deposits

Examples

  • 探矿。
    Tā men zhèng zài zhè ge dì qū tàn kuàng.
    They are prospecting in this area.
  • 。
    Qù nián wǒ men zài zhè lǐ tàn guò yí cì kuàng.
    Last year we prospected here once.
  • 探矿。
    Zhè jiā gōng sī zhuān mén cóng shì tàn kuàng gōng zuò.
    This company specializes in prospecting work.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

探tànexplore
矿kuàngminerals

探 means to explore, and 矿 names the mineral resources being sought.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
扌Written in full as手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
𥥍
𥥍𥥍探tàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 探, the 扌 part is a hand, and 𥥍 gives the sound.

Open 探 →

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 礦; 矿 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
石石shístone
Sound part声符shēngfú
廣
廣guǎng礦kuàng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 礦 shows 石, meaning stone, beside 廣, which gives the sound. The simplified 矿 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the original parts.

Open 矿 →

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