About
The character 底, in its traditional form comprising the radical 广 (shelter) atop the component 氐 (foundation, to arrive), originally conveyed the concrete concept of a building's foundation or lowest level, a meaning directly illustrated by its structural composition. From this core idea of a physical base, its application broadened to denote the bottom of any object or space. Over time, this spatial sense provided a natural pathway for abstract extensions, allowing 底 to signify the innermost part, the underlying root, or the conclusive end of a matter, such as in reaching the "bottom" of a truth or the "end" of a process. This semantic journey from a tangible architectural base to a versatile term for fundamental or ultimate aspects demonstrates how its foundational etymology continued to support layers of derived meaning.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
我的书在箱子底下。
你到底去不去？
这是我们的底线。
河底有很多石头。
他知道事情的底细。
作者保存了所有底稿。
这张底片已经曝光了。
在调查彻底完成后，我们才能得出结论。