光合作用 (guāng hé zuò yòng) — photosynthesis

Definition

noun

photosynthesis

光合作用。
Zhí wù tōng guò guāng hé zuò yòng jiāng yáng guāng zhuǎn huà wèi néng liàng.
Plants convert sunlight into energy through photosynthesis.
光合作用。
guāng hé zuò yòng Shì zhí wù shēng zhǎng de zhòng yào guò chéng.
Photosynthesis is an important process in plant growth.
光合作用。
Lǎo shī jiě shì le guāng hé zuò yòng de jī běn yuán lǐ.
The teacher explained the basic principles of photosynthesis.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

光合light synthesis

偏正Modifier + head

作用function

联合Side by side

"光合" (light synthesis) and "作用" (function) combine to name the process where light drives synthesis.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

The shape 光 places 火 (fire) above 卩 (a kneeling person), showing fire over the head and the shining of light.

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

亼口合

合 shows 亼 and 口 arranged as two mouths speaking together.

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

亻乍作

Meaning part形符xíngfú

亻Written in full as人rénperson

Sound part声符shēngfú

乍

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The left side 亻 comes from 人, meaning 'person', and the right side 乍 gives the sound.

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

用 was formed by adding a handle to an earlier form.