洼地 (wā dì) — low-lying land, depression (geographical feature)

Definition

noun
low-lying landdepression (geographical feature)
Measure word · 块

Examples

  • 洼地。
    Zhè piàn wā dì jīng cháng zài yǔ jì bèi yān mò.
    This low-lying area often gets flooded during the rainy season.
  • 洼地。
    Nóng mín zài wā dì lǐ zhǒng le shuǐ dào.
    Farmers planted rice in the low-lying land.
  • 洼地。
    Chéng shì de wā dì bèi gǎi zào chéng le gōng yuán.
    The city's depression was turned into a park.

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.

洼wālow/depressed
地dìland

洼 'low/depressed' + 地 'land' means low-lying land.

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 窪; 洼 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
穴穴xuéhole
Sound part声符shēngfú
洼
洼wā窪
Same sound today

The traditional form 窪 pairs 穴 (hole) with a sound part written 洼; the simplified 洼 is a shorthand.

Open 洼 →

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
也
也yě地dì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

地 is built from 土 (earth) and 也, which gives its sound.

Open 地 →

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