化石

huà shí

fossil

HSK Level 5

Example Sentences

恐龙的化石在世界各地都有发现。

kǒnglóng de huàshí zài shìjiè gèdì dōu yǒu fāxiàn.

Dinosaur fossils have been found all over the world.

这些化石为我们提供了恐龙的生活习性。

zhèxiē huàshí wèi wǒmen tígōngle kǒnglóng de shēnghuó xíxìng.

These fossils provide us with information about the life habits of dinosaurs.

化石是研究古代生物的重要资料。

huàshí shì yánjiū gǔdài shēngwù de zhòngyào zīliào.

Fossils are important materials for studying ancient organisms.

Synonyms

古生物化石 (gǔ shēng wù huà shí)

paleontological fossil

矿物化石 (kuàng wù huà shí)

mineral fossil

Antonyms

活体 (huó tǐ)

living body

生物 (shēng wù)

organism

Etymology & Components

The Chinese word "化石" (huàshí) for "fossil" is composed of two characters: "化" (huà) and "石" (shí). The character "化" means "change" or "transform", while the character "石" means "stone" or "rock". Together, the two characters "化石" literally mean "changed stone" or "transformed stone", referring to the process of organic matter being gradually replaced by minerals over time. This term accurately captures the essence of fossils as the preserved remains or traces of ancient organisms that have been transformed into stone-like substances through geological processes.

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