易燃物 (yì rán wù) — combustibles, flammable materials | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

combustiblesflammable materials

Measure word · 种

Examples

易燃物。
Cāng kù lǐ bù néng duī fàng yì rán wù.
Combustibles cannot be stacked in the warehouse.
易燃物。
Yùn shū yì rán wù xū yào tè shū xǔ kě.
Transporting flammable materials requires special permission.
易燃物。
Zhè xiē yì rán wù yīng gāi yuǎn lí huǒ yuán.
These combustibles should be kept away from sources of fire.

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.

易燃easy to burn

易yìeasy燃ránburn

偏正Modifier + head

易 marks ease and 燃 marks burning, so 物 names a thing that burns easily.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The early form of 易 was a drawing of a filled container, not a chameleon. It showed something full that could be given out.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

火然燃

Meaning part形符xíngfú

火火huǒfire

Sound part声符shēngfú

然

然rán燃rán

Same sound today

燃 adds 火 (fire) to 然 to write “burn”; 然 supplied the sound, and 火 was added to make the fire meaning clear.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

牛勿物

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

勿

勿wù物wù

Same sound today

物 puts 牛 beside 勿: 牛 gives the meaning, and 勿 gives the sound.

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