盐酸 (yán suān) — hydrochloric acid | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

hydrochloric acid

盐酸。
Shí yàn shì lǐ yǒu hěn duō yán suān.
There is a lot of hydrochloric acid in the lab.
盐酸，。
Zhè zhǒng yán suān de nóng dù hěn gāo, shǐ yòng shí yào xiǎo xīn.
The concentration of this hydrochloric acid is very high, be careful when using it.
盐酸。
Tā men yòng yán suān lái qīng xǐ jīn shǔ biǎo miàn.
They use hydrochloric acid to clean metal surfaces.

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.

盐 points to salt or a salty origin, and 酸 names an acid, giving hydrochloric acid.

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 鹽; 盐 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

鹵鹵lǔsalt

Sound part声符shēngfú

監

監jiān鹽yán

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

The traditional form 鹽 uses 鹵 to show salt and 監 for the sound; the simplified 盐 is a later shorthand.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

酉夋酸

Meaning part形符xíngfú

酉酉yǒu

Sound part声符shēngfú

夋

夋qūn酸suān

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

酸 is built from 酉 and 夋, and 夋 gives the sound.

Appears in