化粪池 (huà fèn chí) — septic tank | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

septic tank

Measure word · 个

化粪池。
Nóng cūn hěn duō jiā tíng dōu ān zhuāng le huà fèn chí.
Many rural households have installed septic tanks.
化粪池。
Zhè ge huà fèn chí xū yào dìng qī qīng lǐ.
This septic tank needs regular cleaning.
化粪池，。
huà fèn chí Mǎn le, dé gǎn jǐn zhǎo rén chōu.
The septic tank is full; we need to find someone to pump it out quickly.

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.

化粪dissolve feces

动宾Verb + object

化粪 describes dissolving feces, and the whole word names a pool or tank for that.

Characters in this word

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

化 shows two person figures, one upright and one upside down, to give the idea of reversal or change.

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 糞; 粪 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 糞 is built from 釆, 𠦒, and 廾; the simplified 粪 is a later abbreviation.

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

氵也池

Meaning part形符xíngfú

氵Written in full as水shuǐ

Sound part声符shēngfú

也

也yě池chí

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

池 pairs 氵 (water) with 也, which provides the sound.

Appears in