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成分 (chéng fèn) — component, ingredient, element; (dated) class background, social status

Definition

成分 is a general word for 'component / ingredient' — what something is made of. For 'factor' (cause or influence) use 因素; for a machine/system part use 零件 or 部件.

noun
componentingredientelement(dated) class backgroundsocial status
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 成分？
    Zhè zhǒng yào de chéng fèn shì shén me?
    What are the ingredients of this medicine?
  • 成分。
    Zhè ge yǐn liào de chéng fèn yǒu táng hé shuǐ guǒ.
    This drink contains sugar and fruit as its ingredients.
  • 成分。
    Tā de jiā tíng chéng fèn shì gōng rén.
    His family background is working class.

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.

成chéngform
分fēnpart

成 means to form, and 分 means part, so together they name a constituent element.

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
戊戊wù
Sound part声符shēngfú
丁
丁dīng成chéng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

成 puts 戊, a weapon, beside 丁, which gives the sound. The weapon part relates to protection, as in the old sense of city walls.

Open 成 →

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

分 pairs 八 (to separate) with 刀 (knife), showing something cut apart with a knife.

Open 分 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 5HSK 2.0 Level 5Abstract Concepts

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