埋 mái to bury
怎么记住“埋”: 土 earth + 里 in = to bury. The dog digs a hole in the soft earth, drops his favourite bone in and looks around before he starts to bury it.
部件结构
形声 · Meaning + sound
One part gives the meaning, the other gives the sound.
埋 = 土 earth + 里 in
- 土 earth meaning
- 里 in sound
- 日 sun
- 土 earth
The dog digs a hole in the soft earth, drops his favourite bone in and looks around before he starts to bury it.
How it came to be
Earth gives the meaning and the right part the sound; it took the place of an older character with grass on top.
用法
- Read mái = to bury/cover over: 埋在地下 (mái zài dìxià) bury underground, 埋葬 (máizàng) inter, 埋伏 (máifú) lie in ambush.
- 埋头 (máitóu) = to bury oneself in (work/study): 埋头苦干 (máitóu-kǔgàn) toil head-down.
- Read mán only in 埋怨 (mányuàn) to grumble/complain: a common reading trap.