污染物 (wū rǎn wù) — pollutant, contaminant | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

pollutantcontaminant

Measure word · 种

Examples

污染物。
Gōng chǎng de wū rǎn wù huì yǐng xiǎng kōng qì.
The factory's pollutants affect the air.
污染物。
Zhè zhǒng wū rǎn wù duì jiàn kāng yǒu hài.
This kind of pollutant is harmful to health.
污染物。
Wǒ men yào jiǎn shǎo wū rǎn wù de shù liàng.
We need to reduce the amount of pollutants.

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.

污染pollute

污wūdirty染rǎncontaminate

联合Coordinate

污染 describes making dirty, and 物 is a thing, together a polluting thing.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 汙; 污 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

于

于yú汙wū

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

The traditional form 汙 pairs 水 (water) with 于 for the sound; the simplified 污 is a later shorthand.

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

氵九木染

氵水shuǐwater
九九jiǔhook
木木mùtree

染 combines 氵 (water), 九 (hook), and 木 (tree): something hung on a hook from a tree into water to dye it.

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

牛勿物

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

勿

勿wù物wù

Same sound today

物 puts 牛 beside 勿: 牛 gives the meaning, and 勿 gives the sound.

Appears in

Environment & Ecology

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