水层 (shuǐ céng) — water layer (in geology, hydrology, or oceanography); aquifer

Definition

A technical term for a stratum or body of water, used in geology, hydrology, and oceanography (e.g., underground aquifers, ocean layers).

noun
water layer (in geology, hydrology, or oceanography)aquifer

Examples

  • 水层。
    Zhè ge dì qū de shuǐ céng hěn hòu.
    The water layer in this region is very thick.
  • 水层。
    Kē xué jiā zhèng zài yán jiū hǎi yáng de shuǐ céng.
    Scientists are studying the water layers of the ocean.
  • 。
    Dì xià shuǐ céng de wū rǎn wèn tí yuè lái yuè yán zhòng.
    The pollution problem of underground water layers is becoming more and more serious.

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.

水shuǐwater
层cénglayer

水 means water and 层 means layer; together they name a layer of water.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

水 is a simple drawing of water flowing.

Open 水 →

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 層; 层 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
尸尸shī
Sound part声符shēngfú
曾
曾céng層céng
Same sound today

The traditional form 層 uses 尸 for the meaning and 曾 for the sound; the simplified 层 is a later abbreviation.

Open 层 →

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