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矿井 (kuàng jǐng) — mine shaft, pit (mining)

Definition

noun
mine shaftpit (mining)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 矿井。
    Zhè ge kuàng jǐng hěn shēn.
    This mine shaft is very deep.
  • 矿井。
    Gōng rén men zài kuàng jǐng lǐ gōng zuò.
    The workers work in the mine.
  • 矿井。
    Zhè ge kuàng jǐng yǐ jīng guān bì le.
    This mine shaft has already been closed.

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.

矿kuàngmine
井jǐngshaft

矿 (mine) and 井 (shaft) together mean a mine shaft.

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 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 →

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

The shape of 井 draws a square well with supports on four sides.

Open 井 →
Appears in
Industry & Manufacturing

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