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糖衣 (táng yī) — sugar coating (on a pill, candy, etc.)

Definition

A literal 'sugar coating' — the sweet outer layer on pills or candy. Figuratively, it refers to a deceptive pleasant surface hiding something harmful, as in 糖衣炮弹 ('sugar-coated bullet').

noun
sugar coating (on a pill, candy, etc.)
Measure word · 层

Examples

  • 糖衣。
    Zhè zhǒng yào piàn de táng yī hěn tián.
    This type of pill has a very sweet sugar coating.
  • 糖衣。
    Tā xǐ huan chī táng yī huā shēng.
    She likes to eat sugar-coated peanuts.
  • 糖衣。
    Xiǎo xīn táng yī pào dàn de mí huò.
    Beware of the deception of sugarcoated bullets.

Origin

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.

糖tángsugar
衣yīcoat

糖 gives sugar, 衣 gives a covering; together they picture a coating made of sugar.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
米米mǐrice
Sound part声符shēngfú
唐
唐táng糖
Same sound today

糖 is made from 米 (rice) and 唐, which gives the sound táng.

Open 糖 →

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

The shape of 衣 comes from an outline of the chest and upper clothing.

Open 衣 →
Appears in
Medicine & Treatment

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