About
The character for "ditch" or "channel" originated as "溝", combining the water radical with the component "冓", which historically contributed both phonetic and semantic elements, suggesting a constructed watercourse, and over centuries its meaning extended from physical irrigation ditches and moats to encompass any narrow depression or conduit, including abstract concepts like divisions in social discourse, while the modern simplified form "沟" retains the water radical but substitutes the complex right side with "勾", a component that offers a simpler graphical form while maintaining the character's core association with water channels, reflecting a linguistic shift towards efficiency in writing without altering its fundamental referents.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
沟里有很多水。
小心路上的小水沟。
那条沟渠是用来灌溉的。
我们需要沟通一下这个问题。
两代人之间存在着代沟。
挖掘机正在挖掘一条深沟。
历史的鸿沟难以轻易跨越。
复杂的地形布满了纵横的沟壑。