Chinese word

堤坝

Pronunciation

Pinyindī bà

Meaning

  • noundam

Example

堤坝被洪水冲垮了。dī bà bèi hóng shuǐ chōng kuǎ le

The dam was washed away by the flood.

Illustration for 堤坝 (dam)

More examples

暴雨后，堤坝需要紧急检查。bào yǔ hòu dī bà xū yào jǐn jí jiǎn chá

After the heavy rain, the dam needs an emergency inspection.

Core concept

A long, solid ridge built beside or across water to control its movement and keep nearby land dry.

Common phrases

  • 修建堤坝xiū jiàn dī bà

    construct a dam

  • 加固堤坝jiā gù dī bà

    strengthen a dam

  • 拆除堤坝chāi chú dī bà

    demolish a dam

Similar words

堤防dī fáng: A long raised bank beside a river or the sea that protects land from invading water.
河堤hé dī: A riverbank structure made to keep floodwater from overflowing onto nearby land.
水坝shuǐ bà: A structure that blocks a river, holds back water, and helps form a reservoir.
堰yàn: A low structure across flowing water that adjusts the flow and water level.

Definition in Chinese

人为筑起的河岸高墙或堤堰，用以挡住水流、保护内陆不被水淹没。rén wéi zhù qǐ de hé àn gāo qiáng huò dī yàn yòng yǐ dǎng zhù shuǐ liú bǎo hù nèi lù bú bèi shuǐ yān mò

Word origin

堤坝 (dībà, "dam") is formed from 堤 (dī, "embankment") + 坝 (bà, "dam"), so both characters identify a constructed barrier against water.

Usage tips

  • This is an infrastructure word rather than a casual word for any wall, and it commonly appears in reports about flood control, river works, repair, and reinforcement.

Other meanings

  • embankmentnoun
  • dikenoun

Related words

  • 堤坝工程dī bà gōng chéngdam constructionnoun
  • 堤坝设计dī bà shè jìdam designnoun

Word lists with this word