(lín) — phosphorus

Definition

noun
phosphorus

Examples

  • lín Shì yì zhǒng zhòng yào de huà xué yuán sù.
    Phosphorus is an important chemical element.
  • Bái lín zài kōng qì zhōng huì zì rán.
    White phosphorus ignites spontaneously in air.
  • Zhí wù shēng zhǎng xū yào lín zuò wéi yǎng fèn.
    Plants need phosphorus as a nutrient.

Origin

Sound + meaning
六书liùshū
形声xíngshēng

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
shístone
Sound part声符shēngfú
línlín
Same sound today

磷 is built from 石 (stone) and 粦, which provides the sound.

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