About
The character "湖" has consistently represented the concept of a lake or large body of water throughout its history, constructed from the semantic component "氵" (water) on the left and the phonetic component "胡" on the right. Its traditional and simplified forms remain identical, making it one of many characters untouched by structural simplification. The choice of "胡" as a phonetic element is generally understood to provide a sound clue, though some historical interpretations have suggested it might also carry a connotation of vagueness or vastness, aligning with the expansive and often borderless nature of lakes. Over centuries, its core meaning has remained stable as a noun for a lake, while also forming part of compound words that extend its sense to regions dominated by such waters, such as in "湖南" (south of the lake) or "江湖", which originally referenced rivers and lakes but later acquired broader societal and metaphorical meanings.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
这个湖很大。
湖里有很多鱼。
我们在湖边散步。
湖水非常清澈。
这个湖泊很著名。
湖南的风景很美。
湖面上倒映着山影。
由于污染，湖水变得浑浊。