About
The character 源 is a phono-semantic compound, with the water radical 氵 on the left and 原 on the right. The component 原 originally depicted water flowing from a cliffside spring, providing both the sound and the core idea of an origin. Adding the water radical 氵 later specified the meaning as the headwaters of a river, distinguishing it from 原, which developed more abstract senses. 源 primarily denotes the literal source of a stream or river. This meaning then extended metaphorically to describe the origin or root cause of any phenomenon, concept, or resource.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
水的来源是雨水。
我们需要节约水资源。
能源问题越来越严重。
找到问题的源头是关键。
这家公司有丰富的客户资源。
探索宇宙的起源很有趣。
污染源必须被严格控制。
可再生能源的发展是解决能源危机的根本途径。