Definitions

(noun) cave; cavern

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character 窟, formed by the semantic component 穴 meaning "cave" and the element 屈 which suggests bending or crouching, initially denoted natural caverns or grottos as hollow recesses in the earth. Its meaning expanded over centuries to include man-made excavations and dens, reflecting applications to rock-cut dwellings, animal burrows, or any hole serving as a shelter, thereby broadening from purely geological features to inhabited spaces while retaining the core concept of an enclosed hollow. The structural integrity of the character, maintaining its composite form, has consistently emphasized the conceptual link between physical cavities and the notions of curvature and concealment.

Example Sentences Hide

地上有一个窿。

Dì shàng yǒu yī gè kūlong.

There is a hole on the ground.

这个石很古老。

Zhè gè shíkū hěn gǔlǎo.

This stone cave is very ancient.

孩子们在洞里探险。

Háizimen zài dòngkū lǐ tànxiǎn.

The children are exploring in the cave.

贫民的生活条件很差。

Pínmínkū de shēnghuó tiáojiàn hěn chà.

The living conditions in the slum are very poor.

艺术家在石中雕刻佛像。

Yìshùjiā zài shíkū zhōng diāokè fóxiàng.

Artists carve Buddha statues in the grottoes.

那个窿需要尽快修补。

Nà gè kūlong xūyào jǐnkuài xiūbǔ.

That hole needs to be repaired as soon as possible.

传说森林深处有一个魔

Chuánshuō sēnlín shēnchù yǒu yī gè mókū.

Legend has it that there is a demon's den deep in the forest.

考古学家在石内部发现了珍贵的壁画。

Kǎogǔxuéjiā zài shíkū nèibù fāxiàn le zhēnguì de bìhuà.

Archaeologists discovered precious murals inside the stone cave.