地震 (dìzhèn) — earthquake

地震 (dìzhèn)

地震 is the standard Chinese term for an earthquake -- a sudden shaking of the earth's surface caused by seismic activity -- and is widely used in news, science, and everyday contexts.

Meanings

1. [noun] earthquake; seismic event

Example Sentences

这次地震造成了严重的人员伤亡和财产损失。 Zhè cì dìzhèn zàochéng le yánzhòng de rényuán shāngyáng hé cáichǎn sǔnshī. This earthquake caused serious casualties and property losses.

气象局测量到这次地震的震级为7.5级。 Qìxiàngjú cèliàng dào zhè cì dìzhèn de zhènjí wéi 7.5 jí. The meteorological bureau measured this earthquake at magnitude 7.5.

地震发生时，人们应该立刻躲到桌子下面。 Dìzhèn fāshēng shí, rénmen yīnggāi lìkè duǒ dào zhuōzi xiàmiàn. When an earthquake occurs, people should immediately take shelter under a table.

日本是世界上地震最频繁的国家之一。 Rìběn shì shìjiè shàng dìzhèn zuì pínfán de guójiā zhī yī. Japan is one of the countries with the most frequent earthquakes in the world.

2008年四川地震是中国历史上最严重的地震灾害之一。 2008 nián Sìchuān dìzhèn shì Zhōngguó lìshǐ shàng zuì yánzhòng de dìzhèn zāihài zhī yī. The 2008 Sichuan earthquake was one of the most severe earthquake disasters in Chinese history.

地震预警系统可以在几秒钟内向公众发出警报。 Dìzhèn yùjǐng xìtǒng kěyǐ zài jǐ miǎo zhōng nèi xiàng gōngzhòng fāchū jǐngbào. Earthquake early warning systems can issue alerts to the public within seconds.

Collocations

Usage Notes

地震 is composed of 地 (earth/ground) and 震 (to shake/vibrate), making it a transparent compound -- "earth shaking." Related terms include 余震 (aftershock), 震中 (epicenter), 震级 (magnitude), and 海啸 (tsunami, which often follows major earthquakes).

In news and emergency contexts, 发生地震 (an earthquake has occurred) and 地震预警 (earthquake warning) are standard phrases. The adjective 抗震 (earthquake-resistant) is used in engineering and construction.

Memory Hook

地 means "earth/ground" and 震 means "to shake/tremble." 地震 is the ground shaking -- exactly what an earthquake does.