脱脂 (tuō zhī) — to remove fat, to skim (milk); (attributive) sk… | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Means 'to remove the fat from' or, as an adjective, 'fat-free / skimmed' (usually milk or dairy). Verbally, insert other objects (脱脂棉 = absorbent cotton, 脱脂奶粉 = nonfat milk powder), but milk is the most common everyday use.

to remove fatto skim (milk)(attributive) skimmedfat-free

Examples

脱脂。
Wǒ xǐ huan hē tuō zhī niú nǎi.
I like to drink skim milk.
，。
Niú nǎi yǐ jīng tuō guò zhī le, kě yǐ hē le.
The milk has been skimmed; it's ready to drink.
脱脂。
Zhè zhǒng tuō zhī suān nǎi bǐ jiào jiàn kāng.
This kind of fat-free yogurt is healthier.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

脱, remove, and 脂, fat, together mean taking fat out.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 脫; 脱 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

⺼Written in full as肉ròu

Sound part声符shēngfú

兌

兌duì脫tuō

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 脫 puts ⺼ (meat) beside 兌, which gives the sound; the simplified 脱 is a shorthand, and its parts are not the historical pieces.

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

月旨脂

Meaning part形符xíngfú

月Written in full as肉ròumeat

Sound part声符shēngfú

旨

旨zhǐ脂zhī

Same sound today

The left 月 is meat, and the right 旨 gives the sound.

Appears in

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