Definition
拓荒 is a verb-object compound (离合词) meaning 'to open up virgin land' or 'to pioneer'. It is often used metaphorically for pioneering work in any field. As a separable verb, you can insert aspect markers or measure words between the syllables, e.g., 拓了荒 ('reclaimed wasteland'), 拓过荒 ('have pioneered').
v.o.
to reclaim wastelandto pioneer (in a field)
Examples
- 拓荒。Tāmen juédìng qù xībù tuò huāng.They decided to go west to reclaim wasteland.
- 。Tā zài zhè piàn tǔdì shàng tuò le huāng.He reclaimed wasteland on this land.
- 拓荒。Zhè wèi kēxuéjiā zài réngōng zhìnéng lǐngyù tuò huāng.This scientist pioneered in the field of artificial intelligence.
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