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砩 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
砩fèito build a dam with rocksg, 10 strokes, radical 石
砩fèidam up water with rocksunknown, 10 strokes, radical 石
砩fèiname of a stoneunknown, 10 strokes, radical 石
砩fúto build a dam with rocksg, 10 strokes, radical 石
砩fúdam up water with rocksunknown, 10 strokes, radical 石
砩fúname of a stoneunknown, 10 strokes, radical 石
fèi(fei4)
primary
 T4
  1. 1to build a dam with rocks
  2. 2dam up water with rocks
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

砩fèi(fei4)

The character 砩 (fèi) refers primarily to the act of building a dam using rocks. It can also denote a specific type of stone used in construction or landscaping. This term is commonly used in contexts involving water management and engineering.

Strokes10Radical石
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, dam construction is vital for agriculture and flood control, reflecting the historical significance of water management in sustaining communities. The character 砩 connects to traditional practices of building rock dams in rural areas.

Memory Tip

Imagine a giant rock (石) being used to build a dam (坝) to hold back a river. The sound 'fèi' can remind you of 'fate,' as the dam holds back the fate of the water flow, keeping it in check.

Meanings of 砩

fèi(fei4)
primary
1to build a dam with rocks
2dam up water with rocks
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 砩

砩Simplified
10Strokes
石Radical
语素morpheme (morph.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 砩

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Podcast: 砩

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AI Study Notes for 砩

Usage Notes

Be cautious with the pronunciation; the tone is critical as a mispronunciation can change the meaning. This term is more formal and may not be used in everyday conversation, so use it in contexts related to construction or environmental management.

HSK Study Tips

While 砩 is not part of the HSK vocabulary, understanding it can enhance your comprehension of related words in water management and construction. Focus on recognizing the radicals and components that relate to stones and water.

Common Mistakes

Learners may confuse 砩 with similar-sounding characters like 飞 (fēi, to fly) due to tonal differences. Remember that 砩 specifically relates to construction and water management, while 飞 has a completely different meaning.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 砩

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Etymology of 砩

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Memory Hint

rock

Semantic (meaning)石
+
Phonetic (sound)弗
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 砩

  1. 1The meaning half石 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half弗 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawayrock
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 砩? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 砩?

Decomposition of 砩

IDS Structure⿰石弗
砩Full Character
=
石dan4
left
弗fu2
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 砩?

How to say to build a dam with rocks in Chinese

“to build a dam with rocks” in Chinese is砩fèi

The character 砩 (fèi) refers primarily to the act of building a dam using rocks. It can also denote a specific type of stone used in construction or landscaping. This term is commonly used in contexts involving water management and engineering.

When to use 砩

Be cautious with the pronunciation; the tone is critical as a mispronunciation can change the meaning. This term is more formal and may not be used in everyday conversation, so use it in contexts related to construction or environmental management.

What learners get wrong

Learners may confuse 砩 with similar-sounding characters like 飞 (fēi, to fly) due to tonal differences. Remember that 砩 specifically relates to construction and water management, while 飞 has a completely different meaning.

Write 砩

砩

Practice writing 砩 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 砩

Words Containing This Character1
砩fèidam up water with rocks
Exercise 1 of 1

Compound Meaning

What does 砩 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 砩

Synonyms include 堰 (yàn) for 'weir' and 水坝 (shuǐ bà) for 'water dam.'

Jason Recommends

Not sure what to learn after 砩?

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