残留物 (cán liú wù) — residue; leftover (substance); remnant

Definition

noun
residueleftover (substance)remnant

Examples

  • 残留物
    Shí yàn shì de cán liú wù xū yào qīng lǐ.
    The residue in the lab needs to be cleaned up.
  • 残留物
    Kǎo gǔ xué jiā zài yí zhǐ zhōng fā xiàn le cán liú wù.
    The archaeologists found remnants at the site.
  • 残留物
    Shí wù cán liú wù rú guǒ bù jí shí chǔ lǐ, huì zī shēng xì jūn.
    Food residue will breed bacteria if not handled in time.

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.

残留leftover
cánremainliúremain
联合Coordinate
thing

A thing left behind: 残 and 留 both express remaining, and 物 gives the thing.

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 殘; 残 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
dǎivicious, bones
Sound part声符shēngfú
jiāncán
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 殘 pairs 歹, a bone shape for injury, with 戔 for its sound; the simplified 残 is a later shorthand.

Open 残 →

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

留 combines 田 (field) with 卯, which gives the sound.

Open 留 →

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
Sound part声符shēngfú
Same sound today

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

Open 物 →

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