气化 (qì huà) — gasification

Definition

气化 (qìhuà) refers to the technical process of converting a solid or liquid fuel (like coal or biomass) into combustible gas. Used mainly in energy and chemical engineering contexts.

noun
gasification
Easily confused

Examples

  • 气化。
    Méi tàn de qì huà guò chéng kě yǐ tí gāo néng yuán lì yòng xiào lǜ.
    The gasification process of coal can improve energy utilization efficiency.
  • 气化。
    Zhè xiàng jì shù zhǔ yào yán jiū shēng wù zhì de qì huà.
    This technology mainly studies the gasification of biomass.
  • 气化。
    Dì xià qì huà shì yì zhǒng xīn xíng de méi tàn kāi cǎi fāng shì.
    Underground gasification is a new type of coal mining method.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

气qìgas
化huàmake into

The gas part and the make-into part combine to name the process of becoming gas.

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 氣; 气 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
米米mǐrice
Sound part声符shēngfú
气
气qì氣qì
Same sound today

The traditional form 氣 pairs 米 (rice) with 气, which supplies the sound; the simplified 气 is a later abbreviation.

Open 气 →

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 →

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