氖 (nǎi) — neon (chemical element, Ne)

Definition

Examples

  • 氖。
    Ní hóng dēng lǐ chōng mǎn le nǎi qì.
    Neon signs are filled with neon gas.
  • 氖。
    nǎi Shì yì zhǒng duò xìng qì tǐ.
    Neon is a noble gas.
  • 氖。
    Shí yàn shì lǐ yǒu yì píng chún nǎi.
    There is a bottle of pure neon in the lab.

Origin

Sound + meaning
六书liùshū
形声xíngshēng

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
气气qìgas
Sound part声符shēngfú
乃
乃nǎi氖nǎi
Same sound today

氖 uses 气 to show it is a gas, and 乃 to give its sound nǎi.

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