荒野 (huāng yě) — wilderness | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

wilderness

Measure word · 片

Examples

荒野，。
Zhè piàn huāng yě hěn shǎo rén qù, fēi cháng ān jìng.
This wilderness has few visitors; it's very quiet.
荒野。
Wǒ men zài huāng yě lǐ shēng le yì duī huǒ.
We made a campfire in the wilderness.
荒野。
Tā dú zì zǒu jìn le nà piàn huāng yě.
She walked alone into that wilderness.

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.

荒huāngdesolate

荒 (desolate) specifies 野 (wilds), yielding a wilderness.

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.

艹巟荒

Meaning part形符xíngfú

艹Written in full as艸cǎograss, plant

Sound part声符shēngfú

巟

巟huāng荒huāng

Same sound today

荒 is built from 艹 (grass, plant) and 巟, with 巟 giving the sound huāng.

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

田田tiánfield

土土tǔearth

Sound part声符shēngfú

予

予yǔ野yě

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

野 combines 田 (field) above 土 (earth) to show open country, with 予 giving the sound.

Appears in

Geography & Landforms

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