地 (de)
-ly; structural particle: used before a verb or adjective, linking it
- HSK 3.1 level 1
- 6 strokes
Etymology
Phonosemantic compound. 土 represents the meaning and 也 represents the sound.
Shuowen Jiezi
《說文》:“地,元气初分,輕、清、陽為天;重、濁、陰為地。萬物所陳列也。从土,也聲。墬,籀文地从。”