碱 (jiǎn) — variant of 鹼|碱
Definition
A noun for 'alkali' or 'base' — a chemistry term for substances like soda or lye, often seen in compounds such as 碱性 (alkaline) and 碱水 (alkaline water).
noun
variant of 鹼|碱
Examples
- 碱。Zhè zhǒng jiǎn shuǐ kě yǐ yòng lái xǐ yī fu.This kind of alkaline water can be used to wash clothes.
- 碱。Huà xué kè shàng wǒ men xué le jiǎn de xìng zhì.In chemistry class we learned about the properties of alkalis.
- 碱。Zuò miàn bāo de shí hou yào jiā yì diǎn jiǎn.When making bread, you need to add a little soda.
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
僉
僉qiān碱
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
碱 combines 石 (stone) with 僉, which gives the pronunciation. The 石 part points to stone.
Appears in
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