塘

táng

唐 + 土

Definitions

táng (noun) pond; pool

táng (noun) embankment; dyke

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 土 represents the meaning and 唐 represents the sound.

Semantic: 土 Phonetic: 唐

About

塘 is a phono-semantic character that pairs the earth radical 土 on the left, which points to earth, land, or construction, with the phonetic component 唐 on the right to indicate the pronunciation. In its earliest usage, 塘 referred to an earthen embankment, dyke, or dam , a structure people built to hold back or control water. As the language evolved, the name of the enclosing wall came to stand for the water enclosed, so the character's modern meaning is a pond, pool, or small reservoir.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

池塘里有小鱼。

Chí táng lǐ yǒu xiǎo yú.

There are small fish in the pond.

这个池塘水很浅。

Zhè gè chí táng shuǐ hěn qiǎn.

The water in this pond is very shallow.

孩子们在池塘边玩耍。

Hái zi men zài chí táng biān wán shuǎ.

The children are playing by the pond.

池塘中盛开着荷花。

Chí táng zhōng shèng kāi zhe hé huā.

Lotus flowers are blooming in the pond.

我们沿着塘坝散步。

Wǒ men yán zhe táng bà sàn bù.

We are walking along the dam.

池塘的水面倒映着蓝天。

Chí táng de shuǐ miàn dào yìng zhe lán tiān.

The pond's water surface reflects the blue sky.

这个养殖塘专门饲养鲤鱼。

Zhè gè yǎng zhí táng zhuān mén sì yǎng lǐ yú.

This breeding pond is specifically for raising carp.

为了防止洪水，他们加固了河塘的堤岸。

Wèi le fáng zhǐ hóng shuǐ, tā men jiā gù le hé táng de dī àn.

To prevent flooding, they reinforced the banks of the river pond.

Related Characters

Component: 唐

Component: 土

塘