坞

塢/隖

wù

乌 + 土

Definitions

wù (bound form) low area within a surrounding barrier; (literary) small castle; fort

wù variant of 塢|坞[wù]

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 土 represents the meaning and 乌 represents the sound. Simplified form of 塢.

Semantic: 土 Phonetic: 乌

About

坞 is a phono-semantic compound: the 土 radical on the left gives the meaning of earth, while 乌 on the right indicates the sound. It is the simplified form of 塢, where the phonetic was originally 烏. The original meaning referred to a small earthen bank, a low protective wall of packed earth, or a fortified village. Over time, the meaning extended to enclosed structures for holding ships, leading to its modern use in words for docks and shipyards.

Etymology Hide

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

船坞很安静。

Chuánwù hěn ānjìng.

The shipyard is quiet.

好莱坞电影很受欢迎。

Hǎoláiwù diànyǐng hěn shòu huānyíng.

Hollywood movies are very popular.

他们在船坞工作。

Tāmen zài chuánwù gōngzuò.

They work in the shipyard.

山坞里春天花开得很美。

Shānwù lǐ chūntiān huā kāi dé hěn měi.

In the mountain valley, flowers bloom beautifully in spring.

古代坞堡是重要的防御工事。

Gǔdài wùbǎo shì zhòngyào de fángyù gōngshì.

Ancient fortified buildings were important defensive structures.

好莱坞吸引了全球的电影人才。

Hǎoláiwù xīyǐnle quánqiú de diànyǐng réncái.

Hollywood attracts film talents from around the world.

船坞的技术人员正在检测船舶性能。

Chuánwù de jìshù rényuán zhèngzài jiǎncè chuánbó xìngnéng.

The technical personnel in the shipyard are testing the performance of the ships.

由于山坞地形复杂，勘探队需要谨慎行动。

Yóuyú shānwù dìxíng fùzá, kāntànduì xūyào jǐnshèn xíngdòng.

Due to the complex terrain of the mountain valley, the exploration team needs to act cautiously.

Related Characters

Component: 乌

Component: 土

坞