氧化铝 (yǎng huà lǚ) — aluminum oxide

Definition

noun

aluminum oxide

氧化铝，。
Zhè zhǒng yǎng huà lǚ de chún dù fēi cháng gāo, shì hé zuò tè zhǒng táo cí.
This type of aluminum oxide has very high purity and is suitable for making special ceramics.
氧化铝。
Gōng yè shàng cháng yòng diàn jiě yǎng huà lǚ de fāng fǎ lái zhì qǔ jīn shǔ lǚ.
In industry, the electrolysis of aluminum oxide is commonly used to produce aluminum metal.
，氧化铝。
Shí yàn shì lǐ, yǎng huà lǚ bèi yòng zuò gān zào jì hé xī fù jì.
In the laboratory, aluminum oxide is used as a desiccant and adsorbent.

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.

氧化oxide

铝lǚaluminum

氧化铝 names the oxide of 铝, with 氧化 denoting the oxygen-combined form and 铝 the metal.

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

Sound part声符shēngfú

養

養yǎng氧yǎng

Same sound today

氧 pairs 气 (gas) with 養 (to nourish), and 養 gives the sound yǎng.

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.

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 鋁; 铝 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

金金jīnmetal

Sound part声符shēngfú

呂

呂lǚ鋁lǚ

Same sound today

The traditional form 鋁 pairs 金 (metal) with 呂 as a sound part to write aluminium; this note is about 鋁, not the simplified 铝.