沟
gōu
The English word 'ditch' (verb) is translated into Chinese as 沟 (gōu).
Meaning: to abandon (verb)
Which one should you use?
排水沟 is a specific term for drainage ditch used when discussing channeling or removing water, whereas 水沟子 is a regional variation common in Northern China used to refer to a drainage ditch, especially in rural areas.
Is it said differently in some regions?
水沟子 is a regional variation common in Northern China, particularly in rural areas.
How do you pronounce it?
gōu
Did you know?
- While 沟 refers to a physical ditch, the word 勾 used for its sound also means 'to hook' or 'to cheat' in different contexts.
- While 'ditch' in English can be used as a slang verb meaning 'to abandon', the Chinese term 沟 is almost exclusively used as a noun to describe the physical feature.
- The character 沟 is a phono-semantic compound, meaning it uses the water radical 氵 to indicate its meaning and the component 勾 to provide its sound.
Examples in context
- 请清理排水沟Could you please clear the drainage ditch?
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing a bad movie they are watching.
- 伟 Wei这部电影太无聊了。Zhè bù diànyǐng tài wúliáo le.This movie is so boring.
- 雨婷 Yuting我也觉得，我们要不要沟掉它？Wǒ yě juéde, wǒmen yào bù yào gōu diào tā?I think so too, should we ditch it?
- 伟 Wei好，我们现在就走吧。Hǎo, wǒmen xiànzài jiù zǒu ba.Okay, let's leave right now.
- 雨婷 Yuting走吧，去吃点东西。Zǒu ba, qù chī diǎn dōngxī.Let's go and get something to eat.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 沟, CC BY-SA 4.0.
