氨基酸 (ān jī suān) — amino acid | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

amino acid

Examples

氨基酸。
Rén tǐ xū yào duō zhǒng ān jī suān.
The human body needs many types of amino acids.
氨基酸。
ān jī suān Shì dàn bái zhì de jī běn zǔ chéng bù fen.
Amino acids are the basic building blocks of protein.
氨基酸。
Zhè zhǒng shí wù lǐ hán yǒu fēng fù de ān jī suān.
This food is rich in amino acids.

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.

氨基amino group

氨ānammonia基jīgroup

偏正Modifier + head

氨基 (amino group) and 酸 (acid) name an acid with an amino group.

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.

气安氨

Meaning part形符xíngfú

气气qìgas

Sound part声符shēngfú

安

安ān氨ān

Same sound today

氨 pairs 气 (gas) with 安, which gives the sound ān; the 气 part shows that it names a gas.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

其土基

Meaning part形符xíngfú

土土tǔearth

Sound part声符shēngfú

其

其qí基jī

Same sound today

The lower 土 means earth, and the upper 其 gives the sound; together they form the idea of a foundation of earth.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

酉夋酸

Meaning part形符xíngfú

酉酉yǒu

Sound part声符shēngfú

夋

夋qūn酸suān

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

酸 is built from 酉 and 夋, and 夋 gives the sound.

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