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肥料 (féi liào) — fertilizer, manure

Definition

General word for 'fertilizer / manure' used for crops and gardening. Distinct from 化肥 (chemical/synthetic fertilizer) and 粪 (raw dung/excrement); pairs with 饲料 for animal feed.

noun
fertilizermanure

Examples

  • 肥料。
    Nóng mín zài tián lǐ sā féi liào.
    Farmers spread fertilizer in the fields.
  • 肥料。
    Zhè zhǒng féi liào shì hé zhòng huā yòng.
    This kind of fertilizer is suitable for growing flowers.
  • 肥料。
    Chūn tiān nóng mín kāi shǐ mǎi féi liào.
    In spring farmers start buying fertilizer.

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.

肥féifertile/fat
料liàomaterial

“肥” (fertile/fat) and “料” (material) combine to mean material that enriches growth.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 肉肉ròumeat
  • 卪卪jiéperson kneeling

肥 is built from 肉, meat, and 卪, a kneeling person.

Open 肥 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

料 combines 米 (rice) with 斗 (a dipper), showing rice being measured or gauged.

Open 料 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Agriculture & Farming

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