盆地
ぼんち · bonchi · JLPT N2 · noun
gram
🥣 盆 (bowl) + 地 (ground) = land shaped like a bowl, ringed by mountains
盆 means bowl or tray, and 地 means ground. A 盆地 is low ground enclosed by higher mountains on its edges, like the rim of a bowl. Its sound, bonchi, is close to the English word bunch.
盆 — 分 (fēn, phonetic) + 皿 (mǐn, dish/vessel)
盆 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The bottom 皿 depicts an open vessel or dish and gives the meaning 'basin/bowl,' while the top 分 supplies the sound 'fēn,' which shifted to 'pén.' It originally referred to a wide, shallow earthenware basin used for washing or holding food.
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.'