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紫外线 (zǐ wài xiàn) — ultraviolet ray; UV light

Definition

noun
ultraviolet rayUV light
Measure word · 种

Examples

  • ，紫外线。
    Xià tiān chū mén yào tú fáng shài shuāng, bǎo hù pí fū bú bèi zǐ wài xiàn shài shāng.
    Apply sunscreen when going out in summer to protect your skin from UV damage.
  • 紫外线。
    Zhè tái jī qì néng yòng zǐ wài xiàn jiǎn cè zhǐ bì de zhēn jiǎ.
    This machine can detect the authenticity of banknotes using ultraviolet light.
  • 紫外线。
    Tài kōng zhōng de zǐ wài xiàn qiáng dù bǐ dì qiú shàng gāo hěn duō.
    The intensity of UV rays in space is much higher than on Earth.

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.

紫外ultraviolet
紫zǐviolet外wàioutside
偏正Modifier + head
线xiànray

紫外 means beyond violet and 线 means ray, so ultraviolet ray.

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
糸糸mì
Sound part声符shēngfú
此
此cǐ紫zǐ
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

紫 is made of 糸, a silk-related part, and 此, which gives the sound cǐ.

Open 紫 →

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
卜卜bǔ
Sound part声符shēngfú
月
月yuè外wài
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

外 pairs 卜 with 月, a crescent moon; in its older form, the 卜 part had a horizontal bar extending outward, giving the sense of outside.

Open 外 →

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 線; 线 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糹Written in full as糸mì
Sound part声符shēngfú
泉
泉quán線xiàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 線 uses 糹 (silk/thread) to show the meaning and 泉 to suggest the sound; the simplified 线 is a later shorthand.

Open 线 →
Appears in
Physics & Chemistry

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