污水 (wū shuǐ) — sewage | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

污水 is 'sewage' — used water and waste carried away by drains (as in 污水系统). Compared to 粪便 (raw feces/excrement), 污水 is the broader waste stream, not just solid matter.

noun

sewage

Examples

污水。
Zhè ge chéng shì de wū shuǐ xì tǒng hěn wán shàn.
This city's sewage system is very complete.
污水。
Gōng chǎng bù néng bǎ wū shuǐ zhí jiē pái rù hé lǐ.
Factories cannot discharge sewage directly into the river.
污水，。
wū shuǐ Rú guǒ chǔ lǐ bù hǎo, huì wū rǎn dì xià shuǐ.
If sewage is not treated properly, it will pollute groundwater.

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 dirty and 水 water combine as dirty water or sewage.

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.

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

水 is a simple drawing of water flowing.

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 6 Environment & Ecology

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