胡佛水坝
Húfó Shuǐbà
The English phrase "hoover dam" is translated into Mandarin as 胡佛水坝 (Húfó Shuǐbà).
This phrase refers to the large concrete dam located on the Colorado River in the United States.
What does it mean word for word?
The term consists of two parts: 胡佛, which is a phonetic transliteration of the surname Hoover and 水坝, which literally means "water dam".
Which one should you use?
The pack provides two formal versions: 胡佛水坝 and 胡佛大坝.
How do you pronounce it?
Húfó Shuǐbà
Did you know?
- The name 胡佛 is a phonetic approximation. Because Mandarin lacks a direct equivalent to the English 'v' sound, the character 佛 is used, which also means 'Buddha'.
- The phonetic transcription of 'Hoover' as 胡佛 uses a character 胡 that historically meant 'barbarian' or 'foreign', a term once used by ancient Chinese to describe non-Han people.
- If you describe the dam as 胡佛大坝 in a formal presentation, you are using a term that mirrors the naming convention of the Three Gorges Dam, the largest dam in the world located in China.
Examples in context
- 我计划明天去参观胡佛水坝。I am planning to visit Hoover Dam tomorrow.
- 这个周末我们一起去胡佛水电站玩吧！Let's go to the Hoover Dam this weekend!
- 胡佛水坝非常宏伟。Húfú Shuǐbà fēicháng hóngwěi.Hoover Dam is very magnificent.
- 我们要去参观胡佛水坝吗？Wǒmen yào qù cānguān Húfú Shuǐbà ma?Are we going to visit Hoover Dam?
- 胡佛水坝位于美国。Húfú Shuǐbà wèiyú Měiguó.Hoover Dam is located in the United States.
Example conversation
Two friends are planning a road trip in the United States.
- 欣怡 Xinyi伟，我们去拉斯维加斯附近旅游吧。Wěi, wǒmen qù Lāsīwéijiāsi fùjìn lǚyóu ba.Wei, let's travel near Las Vegas.
- 伟 Wei好啊，我想看一眼胡佛水坝。Hǎo a, wǒ xiǎng kàn yīyǎn Húfú Shuǐbà.Sure, I want to take a look at Hoover Dam.
- 欣怡 Xinyi那里拍照一定很好看。Nàlǐ pāizhào yīdìng hěn hǎokàn.Taking photos there will definitely look great.
- 伟 Wei没错，我们出发吧。Méi cuò, wǒmen chūfā ba.That's right, let's head out.
