(yuàn) - A protective embankment or dike & a levee

Tone 4

yuàn | 10 strokes | radical:

· yuàn

A protective embankment or dike;

a levee;

also refers to a unit of measurement for silver in ancient China.

A protective embankment or dikea leveealso refers to a unit of measurement for

Usage highlights

River embankmentProtective dikeSilver measurementLiang and yuanDike constructionEmbankment repair

Synonyms

  • dike, embankment
  • dam, dike
  • weir, low dam

Antonyms

  • ditch, trench
  • canal, channel

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The villagers reinforced the river embankment (河垸) before the flood season.
  • In ancient times, silver was measured in liang and yuan (银两垸).
  • The protective dike (护垸) prevented the village from flooding.
  • They built a strong levee (坚固的垸) along the riverbank.

Collocations

  • River embankment(河垸)
  • Protective dike(护垸)
  • Silver measurement(银垸)
  • Liang and yuan(两垸)
  • Dike construction(筑垸)
  • Embankment repair(修垸)

Idioms

  • Build embankments and store grain(筑垸积粮)
  • Secure the dikes to protect the people(固垸保民)
  • Silver by the liang and yuan(银两垸计)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Historically important in water control and agricultural societies, especially in regions prone to flooding like the Yangtze River basin.
  • Used as a unit for weighing silver in ancient Chinese commerce, reflecting its role in economic transactions.
  • Embankments (垸) were community projects that required collective effort, symbolizing cooperation and resilience.

FAQ