() — chlorine

Definition

noun
chlorine

Examples

  • Zhè zhǒng xiāo dú jì hán yǒu lǜ.
    This disinfectant contains chlorine.
  • Yóu yǒng chí lǐ xū yào jiā lǜ lái shā jūn.
    Chlorine needs to be added to the swimming pool to kill bacteria.
  • 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
gas
Sound part声符shēngfú
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.

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