断奶 (duàn nǎi) — to wean (a baby or young animal)

Definition

Literally 'cut off milk': to wean a baby or young animal off breast milk or formula. Used as a verb phrase, often with 开始 or the 给 construction (开始给孩子断奶).

verb
to wean (a baby or young animal)

Examples

  • 断奶。
    Hái zi yí suì bàn jiù duàn nǎi le.
    The child was weaned at one and a half years old.
  • 断奶，。
    Zhè zhī xiǎo gǒu hái méi duàn nǎi, bù néng chī gǒu liáng.
    This puppy hasn't been weaned yet, so it can't eat dog food.
  • 断奶。
    Yī shēng shuō liù gè yuè hòu kě yǐ kāi shǐ gěi hái zi duàn nǎi.
    The doctor said you can start weaning the baby after six months.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

断duàncut off
奶nǎimilk

断 means to cut off and 奶 means milk, together describing cutting off milk, i.e. weaning.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 斷; 断 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 斷 uses 𢇍 (to cut) and 斤 (axe) together.

Open 断 →

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
女女nǚ
Sound part声符shēngfú
乃
乃nǎi奶nǎi
Same sound today

奶 combines 女, a woman, and 乃, which gives the sound.

Open 奶 →

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