紫菜 (zǐ cài) — dried seaweed (used in soups, sushi, and snacks)

Definition

noun
dried seaweed (used in soups, sushi, and snacks)
Measure word · 张
Easily confused

Examples

  • 紫菜。
    Wǒ xǐ huan zài tāng lǐ fàng yì xiē zǐ cài.
    I like to put some seaweed in the soup.
  • 紫菜。
    Shòu sī wài miàn bāo zhe yī céng zǐ cài.
    The sushi is wrapped in a layer of seaweed.
  • 紫菜。
    Zhè zhǒng zǐ cài kě yǐ zhí jiē dāng líng shí chī.
    This kind of seaweed can be eaten directly as a snack.

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zǐpurple
菜càiedible greens

紫 gives purple and 菜 gives edible greens.

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
艹Written in full as艸cǎograss; plant
Sound part声符shēngfú
采
采cǎi菜cài
Same sound today

菜 has 艹 (grass/plants) on top and 采 below; the top part shows it is a plant, while 采 gives the sound.

Open 菜 →

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