堤

隄

dī

土 + 是

HSK 3.0Level 7

Definitions

dī (noun) dike; embankment

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 土 represents the meaning and 是 represents the sound. Simplified form of 隄.

Semantic: 土 Phonetic: 是

About

堤 is a phono-semantic compound combining the semantic component 土 (earth) on the left with the phonetic 是 (shì) on the right. The earth radical signals that the meaning belongs to the domain of earth, ground, or earthen structures. The character specifically designates a dike, embankment, or levee made of piled earth and stone to restrain water and prevent flooding. The phonetic 是 provides only the sound and contributes no meaning; 堤 is the simplified form of 隄.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)

Seal Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

我们在河堤上散步。

Wǒmen zài hédī shàng sànbù.

We are walking on the river embankment.

洪水冲垮了旧的堤坝。

Hóngshuǐ chōngkuǎ le jiù de dībà.

The flood washed away the old dike.

工人们正在加固这段河堤。

Gōngrénmen zhèngzài jiāgù zhè duàn hédī.

The workers are reinforcing this section of the river embankment.

如果堤坝不牢固，可能会发生危险。

Rúguǒ dībà bù láogù, kěnéng huì fāshēng wéixiǎn.

If the dike is not strong, danger might occur.

这座海堤是为了防止海水入侵而建的。

Zhè zuò hǎidī shì wèile fángzhǐ hǎishuǐ rùqīn ér jiàn de.

This sea wall was built to prevent seawater intrusion.

由于连续的暴雨，河堤出现了裂缝。

Yóuyú liánxù de bàoyǔ, hédī chūxiàn le lièfèng.

Due to continuous heavy rain, cracks appeared on the river embankment.

政府计划在明年修建新的堤防，以保护沿岸的农田。

Zhèngfǔ jìhuà zài míngnián xiūjiàn xīn de dīfáng, yǐ bǎohù yán'àn de nóngtián.

The government plans to build new embankments next year to protect the farmland along the coast.

工程师们利用现代技术监测堤坝的稳定性，确保万无一失。

Gōngchéngshī men lìyòng xiàndài jìshù jiāncè dībà de wěndìngxìng, quèbào wànwúyīshī.

Engineers use modern technology to monitor the stability of the dike to ensure complete safety.

Related Characters

Component: 土

Component: 是

堤