掺杂 (chān zá) — to mix in, to blend in (often implying adding an inferior or extraneous element)

Definition

Implies mixing in an unwanted or lower-quality element, not just blending. Unlike 混合 (neutral combining), 掺杂 carries a negative sense of contamination or dilution.

verb
to mix into blend in (often implying adding an inferior or extraneous element)

Examples

  • 掺杂，。
    Zhè zhǒng miàn fěn lǐ chān zá le qí tā chéng fèn, kǒu gǎn biàn chà le.
    This flour had other ingredients mixed in, and the texture became worse.
  • ，掺杂。
    Tā de yǎn jiǎng suī rán jīng cǎi, dàn chān zá le bù shǎo gè rén guān diǎn.
    His speech was brilliant, but it mixed in a lot of personal opinions.
  • 掺杂。
    Shì chǎng shàng yǒu xiē chǎn pǐn chān zá le lián jià yuán liào yǐ jiàng dī chéng běn.
    Some products on the market are blended with cheap raw materials to reduce costs.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

掺chānmix in
杂zámixed or impure

掺 means mix in and 杂 means mixed or impure, together giving to blend in an extraneous 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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 摻; 掺 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
手手shǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
參
參cān摻
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 摻 shows 手 (hand) and uses 參 to give the sound; the simplified 掺 is a later shorthand.

Open 掺 →

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 雜; 杂 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
衣衣yī
Sound part声符shēngfú
集
集jí雜zá
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 雜 pairs 衣 (clothes) with 集 as a sound part, originally referring to mixed colours, perhaps in dyed clothes; the simplified 杂 is a later shorthand.

Open 杂 →

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