石蜡 (shí là) — paraffin wax | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

paraffin wax

石蜡。
Zhè zhǒng shí là kě yǐ yòng lái zuò là zhú.
This kind of paraffin wax can be used to make candles.
石蜡。
Hù fū pǐn lǐ cháng cháng hán yǒu shí là.
Skin care products often contain paraffin wax.
石蜡。
Kē xué jiā yòng shí là yán jiū le cái liào de tè xìng.
Scientists used paraffin wax to study the properties of the material.

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.

石 'stone' and 蜡 'wax' combine to name a wax-like mineral substance.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 石 shows a stone under a cliff-like overhang, or a cave set into a cliff side.

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 蠟; 蜡 is its simplified writing.

虫巤蠟

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

巤

巤liè蠟là

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

The traditional form 蠟 has 虫 (insect) and 巤 (sound); the simplified 蜡 is a shorthand.