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中和 (zhōng hé) — (chemistry) to neutralize (an acid/base); (philosophy) to bring into harmony; central harmony (from Confucian thought)

Definition

In chemistry, 中和 means to neutralize an acid or base so they cancel each other out. In Confucian philosophy it refers to a balanced, moderate state of mind — neither excessive nor deficient in emotion.

verb
(chemistry) to neutralize (an acid/base)(philosophy) to bring into harmonycentral harmony (from Confucian thought)

Examples

  • 中和。
    Shí yàn shì lǐ xū yào bǎ zhè liǎng zhǒng yè tǐ zhōng hé yí xià.
    In the lab, we need to neutralize these two liquids.
  • ，。
    Rú jiā jiǎng jiu xǐ nù āi lè zhī wèi fā wèi zhī zhōng, fā ér jiē zhōng jié wèi zhī hé.
    Confucianism teaches that when joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure have not yet arisen, it is called 'central'; when they arise and all hit the proper measure, it is called 'harmony'.
  • ，中和。
    Zhè wèi lǎo shī xìng gé píng hé, dài rén chù wù dōu néng zhōng hé shì dù.
    This teacher has a calm disposition and handles people and things with proper balance and moderation.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

中zhōngmiddle
和héharmony

The senses of 中 and 和 blend to express bringing things to a balanced, neutral state.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The original picture showed a flagpole with a drum in the middle, set up in the center of a field.

Open 中 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
口口kǒumouth
Sound part声符shēngfú
禾
禾hé和hé
Same sound today

和 pairs 禾, which gives the sound, with 口 (mouth), the meaning part; the reference connects this shape to harmony.

Open 和 →
Appears in
Physics & ChemistryTraditional Medicine & Philosophy

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