灭虫剂 (miè chóng jì) — insecticide; pesticide

Definition

noun
insecticidepesticide
Measure word · 种

Examples

  • 灭虫剂。
    Nóng mín yòng miè chóng jì xiāo miè hài chóng.
    Farmers use insecticide to kill pests.
  • 灭虫剂，。
    Zhè zhǒng miè chóng jì hěn yǒu xiào, dàn yào zhù yì ān quán.
    This insecticide is very effective, but safety must be observed.
  • 灭虫剂。
    Qǐng bǎ miè chóng jì fàng zài hái zi ná bú dào de dì fāng.
    Please put the insecticide where children cannot reach it.

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.

灭虫kill insects
灭mièkill虫chónginsect
动宾Verb + object
剂jìpreparation

“灭虫” kills insects and “剂” is a preparation, naming an insecticide.

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 滅; 灭 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
烕
烕miè滅miè
Same sound today

The traditional form 滅 pairs 氵 (water) with 烕 as a sound part to mean extinguish by water; the simplified 灭 is a later shorthand.

Open 灭 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 蟲; 虫 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 蟲 is the one the reference discusses; 虫 is also a traditional character on its own.

Open 虫 →

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 劑; 剂 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
刂Written in full as刀dāo
Sound part声符shēngfú
齊
齊qí劑jì
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In the traditional form 劑, 齊 gives the sound and 刂 (刀, a knife) shows the meaning. The simplified 剂 is a later shorthand.

Open 剂 →

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