有机化学 (yǒu jī huà xué) — organic chemistry

Definition

noun
organic chemistry

Examples

  • 有机化学。
    Tā zài dà xué xué xí yǒu jī huà xué.
    He studies organic chemistry at university.
  • 有机化学。
    yǒu jī huà xué Shì yì mén hěn nán de kè.
    Organic chemistry is a very difficult class.
  • 有机化学。
    Wǒ duì yǒu jī huà xué hěn gǎn xìng qù.
    I am very interested in organic chemistry.

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.

有机organic
有yǒuhave机jīmechanism
动宾Verb + object
化学chemistry
化huàchange学xuéstudy
偏正Modifier + head

有机化学 names the 有机 branch of 化学, which deals with carbon-based compounds.

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
肉肉ròumeat
Sound part声符shēngfú
又
又yòu有yǒu
Same sound today

The form 有 combines 又, used for its sound, with a shape from 肉, 'meat'; the hand-holding-meat story is a folk explanation, not shown in the oldest shape.

Open 有 →

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
木木mùtree; wood
Sound part声符shēngfú
几
几jǐ机jī
Same sound today

The left part is 木 (tree; wood), and the right part 几 gives the sound.

Open 机 →

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

化 shows two person figures, one upright and one upside down, to give the idea of reversal or change.

Open 化 →

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 學; 学 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 學 may have used 爻 and 六 for sound, with hands and a child added later; the simplified 学 is a shorthand.

Open 学 →

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