淀粉酶 (diàn fěn méi) — amylase

Definition

noun
amylase

Examples

  • 淀粉酶，。
    Tuò yè zhōng hán yǒu diàn fěn méi, kě yǐ bāng zhù xiāo huà.
    Saliva contains amylase, which can help with digestion.
  • 淀粉酶。
    Zhè zhǒng diàn fěn méi zài rén tǐ nèi fēn jiě diàn fěn.
    This type of amylase breaks down starch in the human body.
  • 淀粉酶。
    Kē xué jiā cóng xì jūn zhōng tí qǔ le diàn fěn méi.
    Scientists extracted amylase from bacteria.

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.

淀粉starch
淀diànstarch粉fěnpowder
偏正Modifier + head
酶méienzyme

淀粉 names the starchy powder acted on by 酶, an enzyme.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
水水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
定
定dìng淀diàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

淀 pairs 水 (water) with 定, which gives its sound.

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
米米mǐrice
Sound part声符shēngfú
分
分fēn粉fěn
Same sound today

粉 pairs 米 (rice) with 分 for its sound. The rice part points to face powder made from rice.

Open 粉 →

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
酉酉yǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
每
每měi酶méi
Same sound today

酶 combines 酉, the meaning part, with 每, the sound part.

Open 酶 →

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