(qīng) — hydrogen (chemical element)

Definition

noun
hydrogen (chemical element)

Examples

  • Shuǐ shì yóu qīng hé yǎng zǔ chéng de.
    Water is composed of hydrogen and oxygen.
  • Zhè zhǒng qì qiú lǐ miàn zhuāng de shì qīng qì.
    This kind of balloon is filled with hydrogen gas.
  • qīng Shì yì zhǒng hěn qīng de yuán sù.
    Hydrogen is a very light element.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 氫; 氢 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
air; gas
Sound part声符shēngfú
qīngqīng
Same sound today

The traditional form 氫 combines 气 (air; gas) with 輕, which gives the pronunciation qīng; the simplified 氢 is a later shorthand.

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.