HSK · Level 40
120 words
Chinese word
化石
Pronunciation
Pinyinhuà shí
Meaning
- nounfossil
Example
博物馆里有很多化石。bó wù guǎn lǐ yǒu hěn duō huà shí
There are many fossils in the museum.
More examples
地质队在泥岩中发现了完整的化石样本。dì zhì duì zài ní yán zhōng fā xiàn le wán zhěng de huà shí yàng běn
The geological team discovered a complete fossil specimen in mudstone.
Core concept
A durable rock record of life from a much earlier world.
Common phrases
恐龙化石kǒng lóng huà shí
dinosaur fossil
化石样本huà shí yàng běn
fossil specimen
发现化石fā xiàn huà shí
discover a fossil
Similar words
遗迹yí jì: A trace left in the ground by an old building or human activity.
遗物yí wù: An object or tool used by people in the past and left behind.
标本biāo běn: A real sample kept for preservation and display in a museum or similar place.
Definition in Chinese
在沉积物中保存下来的古代生物的遗体或遗物，经矿化或其他地质作用逐渐变为石质并保留下来的物体。zài chén jī wù zhōng bǎo cún xià lái de gǔ dài shēng wù de yí tǐ huò yí wù jīng kuàng huà huò qí tā dì zhì zuò yòng zhú jiàn biàn wéi shí zhì bìng bǎo liú xià lái de wù tǐ
Word origin
化 (huà, "to transform") + 石 (shí, "stone") makes the word easy to read as life from the past preserved through a change into stone.
Usage tips
- 化石 (huàshí, "fossil") can also describe a technology or custom that has stayed unchanged for a very long time, so context separates the literal object from the figurative criticism.
Opposites
- 现存生物xiàn cún shēng wùliving organismnoun
Related words
- 化石燃料huà shí rán liàofossil fuelnoun