甾 (zāi) — steroid
Definition
甾 (zāi) is a specialized chemistry/biochemistry term referring to the steroid class of compounds — molecules built on a characteristic four-ring carbon skeleton. At HSK 7 it appears almost exclusively in technical contexts like 类化合物 or 体.
noun
steroid
Examples
- 甾。Dǎn gù chún shì yì zhǒng zhòng yào de zāi huà hé wù.Cholesterol is an important steroid compound.
- 甾。Yī shēng gěi tā kāi le zāi lèi yào wù lái xiāo yán.The doctor prescribed him steroid medications to reduce inflammation.
- 甾。Zhí wù zhōng yě hán yǒu tiān rán de zāi tǐ huà hé wù.Plants also contain natural steroid compounds.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
Sound part声符shēngfú
𠙹
𠙹𠙹甾zāi
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
甾 pairs 田 (cropfield) with 𠙹 for its old pronunciation. For the modern steroid sense, its shape was reused: the upper part pictures three side chains and 田 pictures the four-ring core.
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