该地 (gāi de) — that place (referring to a previously mentioned location); the said place (formal, used in legal or official documents)

Definition

A formal written term meaning 'that place' or 'the said place,' mainly used in official, legal, and report-style writing — not in everyday speech.

noun
that place (referring to a previously mentioned location)the said place (formal, used in legal or official documents)

Examples

  • 该地。
    gāi de Lí zhè lǐ hěn yuǎn.
    That place is very far from here.
  • 该地。
    gāi de Wèi yú shì zhōng xīn.
    The said place is located in the city center.
  • 该地。
    gāi de De wèn tí yǐ jīng jiě jué le.
    The problem at that place has already been resolved.

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.

该gāithe said
地dìplace

该 refers to the place just mentioned and 地 means place.

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 該; 该 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yán
Sound part声符shēngfú
亥
亥hài該gāi
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 該 pairs 言 (speech) with 亥 as a sound part; the simplified 该 is a shorthand, so its parts are not the historical components.

Open 该 →

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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