堤坝

• Pinyin: dī bà
• Hanzi breakdown: 堤 = 土 + 是 (earthen embankment); 坝 = 土 + 贝 (dam — earth barrier)

Meaning

Dam; embankment and dam structures collectively. Refers to water-control infrastructure that retains or regulates water flow.

A broader term than 堤 alone, encompassing both levees and dams. Central to discussions of water resource management, hydroelectric power, and flood control. Famous projects like the Three Gorges Dam have made 堤坝 a frequent term in infrastructure and environmental discourse.

Examples

1. 三峡堤坝建成后，不仅发挥了巨大的防洪效益，还成为重要的水力发电基地。 After the Three Gorges dam was completed, it not only delivered enormous flood-control benefits but also became an important hydropower base.
2. 受持续强降雨影响，多处堤坝水位告急，防汛指挥部连夜调配抢险物资。 With continued heavy rainfall, water levels at multiple dams reached critical levels, and the flood-control command center mobilized emergency supplies overnight.
3. 这一地区的堤坝系统经过现代化改造，综合防洪能力大幅提升。 After modernization upgrades, the dam system in this region has greatly improved its overall flood-control capacity.

Usage Guide

Context: civil engineering, water resources, disaster management, infrastructure

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 定期对堤坝进行安全检测，是防止溃坝事故的重要手段。(Regular safety inspections of dams and embankments are an important means of preventing dam failures.)
• 修建堤坝改变了河流的自然流态，需要综合评估对生态系统的长期影响。(Building dams alters the natural flow of rivers — their long-term ecological impacts require comprehensive assessment.)

Don't Say

• 堤坝破裂了 — use 堤坝溃决 or 堤坝决口; 破裂 implies physical cracking of a solid object; for water barriers use 溃决 (collapse) or 决口 (breach)

Origin & History

堤 (embankment/dike) + 坝 (dam/barrier)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal