氯 (lǜ) — chlorine
Definition
noun
chlorine
Easily confused
- 氰qínglook-alikecyanogen (a toxic gas, C₂N₂)
- 律lǜsound-alikelaw, rule, regulation, statute, discipline (bound form, used in compounds)
- 氢qīnglook-alikehydrogen (chemical element)
- 滤lǜsound-aliketo strain; to filter
- 氧yǎnglook-alikeoxygen (chemical element O)
- 虑lǜsound-alike(bound form) to consider, to think over
Examples
- 氯。Zhè zhǒng xiāo dú jì hán yǒu lǜ.This disinfectant contains chlorine.
- 氯。Yóu yǒng chí lǐ xū yào jiā lǜ lái shā jūn.Chlorine needs to be added to the swimming pool to kill bacteria.
- 氯。Zì lái shuǐ zhōng lǜ de hán liàng bù néng tài gāo.The chlorine content in tap water cannot be too high.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
Sound part声符shēngfú
彔
彔lù氯lǜ
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
氯 pairs 气 (gas) with 彔, which gives the sound; 彔 is also a shortened form of a character meaning green.
Appears in
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