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热带雨林 (rè dài yǔ lín) — tropical rain forest

Definition

noun
tropical rain forest
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 热带雨林。
    Yà mǎ xùn rè dài yǔ lín de miàn jī fēi cháng dà.
    The Amazon rainforest is very large in area.
  • 热带雨林。
    rè dài yǔ lín Lǐ yǒu gè zhǒng gè yàng de zhí wù hé dòng wù.
    There are all kinds of plants and animals in the rainforest.
  • 热带雨林。
    Kē xué jiā zhèng zài yán jiū rè dài yǔ lín duì qì hòu biàn huà de yǐng xiǎng.
    Scientists are studying the impact of rainforests on climate change.

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.

热带tropical zone
热rèhot带dàizone/belt
偏正Modifier + head
雨林rain forest
雨yǔrain林línforest
偏正Modifier + head

热带 'tropical belt' specifies the region, and 雨林 'rain forest' names the vegetation, together meaning tropical rain forest.

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 熱; 热 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
灬Written in full as火huǒfire
Sound part声符shēngfú
埶
埶yì熱rè
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 熱 pairs 埶 with 火 (written as 灬) to show heat, while 埶 gives a sound.

Open 热 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 帶; 带 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 帶 was drawn as a woven belt; the simplified 带 is a later shorthand.

Open 带 →

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

The shape 雨 is an old picture of a cloud with rain drops falling from it; the top line was added later.

Open 雨 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

林 is made of two 木 (tree) placed side by side, showing many trees together, hence a forest.

Open 林 →
Appears in
Environment & EcologyTrees & Forest

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