坩埚 (gān guō) — crucible

Definition

noun
crucible
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 坩埚。
    Shí yàn shì lǐ yǒu yí gè nài gāo wēn de gān guō.
    There is a high-temperature-resistant crucible in the lab.
  • 坩埚。
    Tā men yòng gān guō róng huà jīn shǔ yàng pǐn.
    They melt metal samples using a crucible.
  • 坩埚。
    Zhè zhǒng táo cí gān guō kě yǐ chéng shòu jí gāo de wēn dù.
    This type of ceramic crucible can withstand extremely high temperatures.

Origin

Single-morpheme word
构词法gòucífǎ
联绵liánmiánBound pair

Two characters that only ever appear together, spelling one ancient two-syllable word.

坩gān
埚guō

坩埚 names a crucible, but 坩 and 埚 carry no meaning on their own here.

Sound-only characters

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
土土tǔearth; dirt
Sound part声符shēngfú
甘
甘gān坩gān
Same sound today

坩 combines 土, meaning earth or dirt, with 甘, which tells you how to say it.

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 堝; 埚 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
土土tǔearth
Sound part声符shēngfú
咼
咼wāi堝
Same sound today

The traditional form 堝 combines 土 (earth) with 咼, which gives the sound; this is about 堝, not the simplified 埚.

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