花生油 (huā shēng yóu) — peanut oil

Definition

noun
peanut oil

Examples

  • 花生油。
    Wǒ chǎo cài xǐ huan yòng huā shēng yóu.
    I like to use peanut oil when stir-frying.
  • 花生油。
    Zhè píng huā shēng yóu shì chún tiān rán yā zhà de.
    This bottle of peanut oil is pure cold-pressed.
  • 花生油。
    Chāo shì lǐ de huā shēng yóu zhèng zài dǎ zhé.
    The peanut oil at the supermarket is on sale.

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.

花生peanut
花huāflower生shēnggrow
主谓Subject + predicate
油yóuoil

花生 (the peanut plant) and 油 (oil) combine to name oil pressed from peanuts.

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
艹Written in full as艸cǎograss; plant
Sound part声符shēngfú
化
化huà花
Same sound today

花 pairs 艹 (grass; plant) with 化, which gives the sound.

Open 花 →

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

生 shows 屮 (a bud) above 一 (the ground), drawing a sprout coming up from the earth.

Open 生 →

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
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
由
由yóu油yóu
Same sound today

油 is built from 氵, a water part, and 由, which supplies the sound.

Open 油 →

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