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塑料 (sù liào) — plastic (material)

Definition

noun
plastic (material)
Measure word · 种

Examples

  • 。
    Zhè ge sù liào dài zǐ hěn jiē shi.
    This plastic bag is very sturdy.
  • 塑料。
    Zhè zhǒng sù liào kě yǐ huí shōu lì yòng.
    This type of plastic can be recycled and reused.
  • 塑料。
    Hěn duō sù liào dōng xī zhǐ yòng yí cì jiù rēng le.
    Many plastic things are used only once and then thrown away.

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.

塑sùmolding
料liàomaterial

塑 (molding) and 料 (material) combine to mean a moldable material, i.e. plastics.

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
土土tǔearth
Sound part声符shēngfú
朔
朔shuò塑sù
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

塑 pairs 土 (earth) with 朔, which gives the sound.

Open 塑 →

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

料 combines 米 (rice) with 斗 (a dipper), showing rice being measured or gauged.

Open 料 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 4Materials & Substances5000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

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