洞 (dòng) — cave; hole; (noun) the digit 0, used when spelling out numbers to avoid ambiguity
Definition
洞 is a hole or cave, usually a fairly large opening you can see or enter. As the spoken form of '0' in phone numbers and codes it disambiguates from 零 (七零 vs 七〇 sounds similar).
noun
caveholethe digit 0, used when spelling out numbers to avoid ambiguity
Measure word · 个
Examples
- 洞。Zhè ge dòng de lǐ miàn hěn hēi.The inside of this cave is very dark.
- 。Qiáng shàng yǒu yí gè dà dòng.There is a big hole in the wall.
- 洞。Tā de shǒu jī hào zuì hòu yí wèi shì dòng.The last digit of his phone number is zero.
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.
洞 combines 水 (water) with 同, which gives the sound tóng.
Appears in
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