凝脂 (níng zhī) — congealed fat; solidified lard or butter; (figurative) creamy, smooth, and glossy skin; soft and delicate texture

Definition

Literary, classical-Chinese noun for 'congealed fat' — most often used figuratively in the set phrase 肤如凝脂 to praise a woman's skin as smooth, fair, and lustrous. This is a poetic, written register, not everyday vocabulary.

noun
congealed fatsolidified lard or butter(figurative) creamysmoothand glossy skinsoft and delicate texture

Examples

  • 凝脂。
    Dōng tiān zhū yóu fàng liáng hòu jiù huì biàn chéng níng zhī.
    In winter, lard turns into solidified fat after it cools.
  • ，凝脂。
    Tā pí fū bái xī, chù gǎn rú níng zhī bān xì huá.
    Her skin is fair and feels as smooth and delicate as congealed fat.
  • “凝脂”。
    Gǔ rén yòng "fū rú níng zhī" lái zàn měi nǚ zǐ de měi mào.
    Ancient people used 'skin like congealed fat' to praise a woman's beauty.

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.

凝níngcongeal
脂zhīfat

凝 gives congeal and 脂 gives fat, so the literal sense is congealed fat; the creamy skin sense comes from that image.

Characters in this word

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
冫Written in full as仌bīngice
Sound part声符shēngfú
疑
疑yí凝níng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

凝 pairs 冫 (ice, also written 仌) with 疑, which gives the sound.

Open 凝 →

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
月Written in full as肉ròumeat
Sound part声符shēngfú
旨
旨zhǐ脂zhī
Same sound today

The left 月 is meat, and the right 旨 gives the sound.

Open 脂 →

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