制冷剂 (zhì lěng jì) — refrigerant, cooling agent

Definition

A technical compound noun meaning a substance used to absorb heat in cooling systems (air conditioners, refrigerators). 制冷 means 'to produce cooling'; 剂 marks it as a chemical agent.

noun
refrigerantcooling agent

Examples

  • 制冷剂。
    Kōng tiáo lǐ de zhì lěng jì xū yào dìng qī gēng huàn.
    The refrigerant in the air conditioner needs to be replaced regularly.
  • 制冷剂。
    Zhè zhǒng zhì lěng jì duì huán jìng de wēi hài hěn xiǎo.
    This type of refrigerant is very low in environmental harm.
  • 制冷剂，。
    Bīng xiāng de zhì lěng jì xiè lòu le, xū yào wéi xiū.
    The refrigerant in the refrigerator leaked and needs repair.

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.

制冷cooling
制zhìmake冷lěngcold
动宾Verb + object
剂jìagent

'制冷' making cold plus '剂' agent names a substance used for cooling.

Characters in this word

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

The form 制 pairs 朱 (tree) with 刀 (knife), showing the act of cutting a tree.

Open 制 →

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

冷 uses 冫, the ice form, with 令 as a sound part, to mean cold as ice.

Open 冷 →

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 劑; 剂 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
刂Written in full as刀dāo
Sound part声符shēngfú
齊
齊qí劑jì
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In the traditional form 劑, 齊 gives the sound and 刂 (刀, a knife) shows the meaning. The simplified 剂 is a later shorthand.

Open 剂 →

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