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矿产 (kuàng chǎn) — mineral resources; minerals

Definition

矿产 (kuàngchǎn) refers to the mineral resources themselves — what is extracted and used. 矿 is the place where they are dug up (a mine or deposit); 矿藏 is a near-synonym emphasizing resources still in the ground.

noun
mineral resourcesminerals
Measure word · 种

Examples

  • 矿产。
    Zhè ge dì qū kuàng chǎn zī yuán hěn fēng fù.
    This region has abundant mineral resources.
  • 矿产。
    Tā men gōng sī zhèng zài kāi fā xīn de kuàng chǎn.
    Their company is developing new mineral resources.
  • 矿产。
    Bǎo hù kuàng chǎn zī yuán fēi cháng zhòng yào.
    Protecting mineral resources is very important.

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; ore
产chǎnproduct

矿 means mine or ore and 产 means product; together they refer to mineral products.

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 →

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 產; 产 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
生生shēngto be born
Sound part声符shēngfú
彥
彥yàn產chǎn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 產 pairs 生, "to be born," with 彥 as a sound part; the simplified 产 is a shorthand.

Open 产 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Materials & Substances

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