施肥 (shī féi) — to apply fertilizer, to fertilize (crops/plants)

Definition

A separable verb meaning to apply fertilizer to crops or plants. Split 施 and 肥 around an object or measure phrase: 施一次肥, 施过肥, 给花施肥.

verb

to apply fertilizerto fertilize (crops/plants)

施肥。
Jīng cháng shī féi néng ràng zhí wù cháng dé gèng hǎo.
Frequent fertilization can make plants grow better.
。
Zhè kuài tián qù nián zhī shī guò yí cì féi.
This field was only fertilized once last year.
。
Wǒ gěi huā shī le yì diǎn féi.
I applied a little fertilizer to the flowers.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

肥féifertilizer

施 means to apply, and 肥 means fertilizer, so together they describe applying fertilizer.

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

㫃㫃㫃

Sound part声符shēngfú

也

也yě施shī

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

施 pairs 㫃, the part connected to its meaning, with 也, the part giving its sound.

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

肥 is built from 肉, meat, and 卪, a kneeling person.