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成因 (chéng yīn) — contributing factor; cause (of a phenomenon)

Definition

noun
contributing factorcause (of a phenomenon)

Examples

  • 成因。
    Kē xué jiā zhèng zài yán jiū zhè ge xiàn xiàng de chéng yīn.
    Scientists are studying the causes of this phenomenon.
  • 成因。
    Zhè cì shì gù de chéng yīn hěn fù zá.
    The contributing factors of this accident are very complex.
  • 成因？
    Qì hòu biàn huà de zhǔ yào chéng yīn shì shén me?
    What are the main causes of climate change?

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chéngformation
因yīncause

成 refers to formation and 因 to cause, together meaning the cause of something's formation.

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.

  • 囗囗wéisheet
  • 大大dàperson

Originally, 因 showed 大 (a person) on 囗 (a sheet or mattress).

Open 因 →
Appears in
Cause, Effect & Logic

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