Definitions

gully; ravine; Taiwan pr. [huò]

Etymology

A ditch  carved in the earth  also provides the pronunciation

About

The character 壑, denoting a deep gully or ravine, originates from a structural combination that includes elements representing valley and earth, thereby encapsulating its fundamental meaning through these constituent parts. Its traditional form, which has not undergone simplification, maintains a phonetic hint from a component associated with hollows alongside the radical for soil, visually emphasizing the concept of a carved-out terrain feature. Over centuries, the term's application expanded beyond literal geographic descriptions to metaphorical contexts in literary and philosophical texts, where it often conveys abstract notions of depth or boundless capacity, yet its core definition as a physical chasm has remained stable throughout its historical usage.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

山间有一条深

Shān jiān yǒu yī tiáo shēn hè.

There is a deep ravine in the mountains.

洪水在平原上冲刷出新的沟

Hóngshuǐ zài píngyuán shang chōngshuā chū xīn de gōuhè.

The flood scoured new gullies in the plain.

探险队艰难地穿越了那道险峻的谷。

Tànxiǎn duì jiānnán de chuānyuè le nà dào xiǎnjùn de hègǔ.

The expedition team arduously traversed that steep ravine.

他凝视着脚下深不见底的涧,心生畏惧。

Tā níngshì zhe jiǎo xià shēn bù jiàn dǐ de hè jiàn, xīn shēng wèijù.

He gazed at the bottomless chasm beneath his feet, feeling fear in his heart.

画家笔下的层峦叠显得气势磅礴。

Huàjiā bǐ xià de céng luán dié hè xiǎnde qìshì pángbó.

The layered peaks and repeated ravines under the painter's brush appear vast and magnificent.

岁月的沟深深地刻在了老人的额头上。

Suìyuè de gōuhè shēnshēn de kè zài le lǎorén de étóu shang.

The ravines of time are deeply carved on the old man's forehead.

这座城市的新规划旨在填平贫富之间的鸿

Zhè zuò chéngshì de xīn guīhuà zhǐ zài tián píng pín fù zhī jiān de hóng hè.

The city's new plan aims to bridge the vast gap between the rich and the poor.

他胸中有丘,对项目的整体布局早已成竹在胸。

Tā xiōng zhōng yǒu qiūhè, duì xiàngmù de zhěngtǐ bùjú zǎo yǐ chéngzhúzàixiōng.

He has a well-thought-out plan in his mind, already having a complete blueprint for the project's overall layout.