Chinese word

金字塔

Pronunciation

Pinyinjīn zì tǎ

Meaning

  • nounpyramid

Example

游客在金字塔前拍照。yóu kè zài jīn zì tǎ qián pāi zhào

Tourists are taking pictures in front of the pyramid.

Illustration for 金字塔 (pyramid)

More examples

考古学家在金字塔内部发现了古代壁画。káo gǔ xué jiā zài jīn zì tǎ nèi bù fā xiàn le gǔ dài bì huà

Archaeologists discovered ancient murals inside the pyramid.

Core concept

Wide layers of stone or packed earth narrow upward until they form one high, pointed top.

Common phrases

  • 金字塔结构jīn zì tǎ jié gòu

    pyramid structure

  • 金字塔内部jīn zì tǎ nèi bù

    pyramid interior

  • 金字塔顶部jīn zì tǎ dǐng bù

    pyramid top

Similar words

金字塔结构jīn zì tǎ jié gòu: A structure with many elements at the bottom and progressively fewer elements toward the top.
金字塔形jīn zì tǎ xíng: A pyramid-like external shape or contour that tapers upward to a point.
金字塔式jīn zì tǎ shì: A system or design style that uses the form of a pyramid as its basic pattern.

Definition in Chinese

指一种多面锥形或近似锥形的巨型古代建筑，外观由分层的石块或夯土形成并向顶端收拢，现代汉语常用于特指古埃及的金字塔。zhǐ yì zhǒng duō miàn zhuī xíng huò jìn sì zhuī xíng de jù xíng gǔ dài jiàn zhù wài guān yóu fēn céng de shí kuài huò hāng tǔ xíng chéng bìng xiàng dǐng duān shōu lǒng xiàn dài hàn yǔ cháng yòng yú tè zhǐ gǔ āi jí de jīn zì tǎ

Word origin

金 (jīn, "gold") + 字 (zì, "character") + 塔 (tǎ, "tower") refers to a tower shaped somewhat like the character 金, which provides a memorable clue to the pyramid's outline.

Usage tips

  • In location phrases, Chinese does not mark English-style articles before this noun, so context decides whether it means a particular pyramid or pyramids in general.

Opposites

  • 扁平化biǎn píng huàflatteningnoun
  • 扁平结构biǎn píng jié gòuflat structurenoun

Related words

  • 金字塔状jīn zì tǎ zhuàngpyramidaladjective
  • 金字塔式jīn zì tǎ shìpyramid-styleadjective

Word lists with this word