炼铁 (liàn tiě) — iron-smelting | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

iron-smelting

炼铁。
Zhè jiā gōng chǎng zhuān mén zuò liàn tiě.
This factory specializes in iron-smelting.
炼铁。
liàn tiě Shì yì zhǒng fēi cháng gǔ lǎo de fāng fǎ.
Iron-smelting is a very ancient method.
炼铁。
Tā zài liàn tiě chǎng gōng zuò le èr shí nián.
He worked at an iron-smelting factory for twenty years.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

“炼” expresses smelting and “铁” names the iron being smelted.

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 煉; 炼 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 炼 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words it is 煉; in others (锻炼) it is 鍊.

火柬煉

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

柬

柬jiǎn煉liàn

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 煉 pairs 火 (fire) with 柬 as its sound part. The simplified 炼 is a shorthand, and its right side is not the historical component.

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 鐵; 铁 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

金金jīnmetal

Sound part声符shēngfú

𢧤

𢧤𢧤鐵tiě

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

The traditional form 鐵 pairs 金 (metal) with 𢧤 as a sound part; the simplified 铁 is a later shorthand.