光气 (guāng qì) — phosgene (chemical compound)

Definition

noun
phosgene (chemical compound)

Examples

  • 光气。
    Zhè zhǒng guāng qì shì yì zhǒng yǒu dú qì tǐ.
    This phosgene is a toxic gas.
  • ，光气。
    Dì yī cì shì jiè dà zhàn zhōng, guāng qì bèi yòng zuò huà xué wǔ qì.
    During World War I, phosgene was used as a chemical weapon.
  • 光气。
    Shí yàn shì lǐ shǐ yòng guāng qì shí bì xū fēi cháng xiǎo xīn.
    When using phosgene in the lab, you must be very careful.

Origin

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guānglight
气qìgas

"光" (light) and "气" (gas) combine to name a chemical gas.

Characters in this word

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

  • 火火huǒfire
  • 卩卩jiékneeling person

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

Open 光 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 氣; 气 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
米米mǐrice
Sound part声符shēngfú
气
气qì氣qì
Same sound today

The traditional form 氣 pairs 米 (rice) with 气, which supplies the sound; the simplified 气 is a later abbreviation.

Open 气 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.