TongTong
Sign in

复合 (fù hé) — to combine, to compound (multiple elements into one)

Definition

复合 (fùhé) as a verb means 'to compound / combine' multiple elements into a unified whole — often in technical or chemistry contexts. Don't confuse with the adjective 复杂 'complicated'; contrast 组合 (general assembly) and 合成 (chemical synthesis).

verb
to combineto compound (multiple elements into one)

Examples

  • 复合，。
    Kē xué jiā bǎ zhè liǎng zhǒng cái liào fù hé zài yì qǐ, zhì chū le xīn chǎn pǐn.
    Scientists combined these two materials to produce a new product.
  • 复合。
    Zhè zhǒng xīn xíng féi liào shì yóu duō zhǒng yuán sù fù hé ér chéng de.
    This new type of fertilizer is formed by combining multiple elements.
  • 复合。
    Zhè liǎng zhǒng wù zhì fù hé hòu chǎn shēng le gèng qiáng de nián xìng.
    After combining, these two substances produced a stronger viscosity.

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.

复fùagain
合héjoin

复 means again and 合 means join, bringing elements together into one.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 復; 复 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 复 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (复习, 恢复) it is 復; in others (复印, 复杂) (答复, 反复) it is 複 or 覆.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
彳彳chìwalk
Sound part声符shēngfú
复
复fù復fù
Same sound today

The traditional form 復 combines 彳, a walking part, with 复, a sound part, to show walking back and forth.

Open 复 →

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

合 shows 亼 and 口 arranged as two mouths speaking together.

Open 合 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Change & Process

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.