地质
dìzhí · HSK 7
geology
🪨🌍 地 earth + 质 substance = the study of what Earth is made of
质 means quality or substance. Geology is literally earth-substance — asking what the ground is made of. The name spells out the whole field.
地 — earth 土 + 也 (phonetic)
地 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The left component 土 means 'earth' or 'soil' and gives the meaning, while 也 on the right hints at the pronunciation. Originally referring to the ground or land, it broadened to mean 'place,' 'region,' and 'territory.'