About
Depending on the analysis, 圳 functions as either an ideogrammic or a phono-semantic compound. It combines the earth radical 土 on the left with the character 川 'stream' on the right. Together, they depict a furrow cut in the ground by flowing water, and 川 also supplies the character's pronunciation. The original purpose of the character was to write words for irrigation ditches, drains, or small canals constructed in farmland to control water flow. For centuries, it has been used as a regional term in southern Chinese dialects, particularly in Guangdong, to denote these agricultural features. In contemporary usage, the character is globally recognized chiefly from the city name Shenzhen; this has largely overshadowed its original agricultural meaning.
Example Sentences Hide
深圳是一个大城市。
我去过深圳两次。
深圳的天气很暖和。
他在深圳工作了很多年。
这条水圳灌溉着附近的农田。
村民们合力挖了一条新水圳。
深圳的发展速度令人惊叹。
由于水圳堵塞，农田缺水严重。
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