苏打粉 (sū dá fěn) — baking soda | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

baking soda

苏打粉。
Zuò bǐng gān de shí hou xū yào jiā yì diǎn sū dá fěn.
You need to add a little baking soda when making cookies.
苏打粉。
Nǎi nai yòng sū dá fěn lái qīng xǐ shuǐ cáo.
Grandma uses baking soda to clean the sink.
苏打粉。
Zhè dài sū dá fěn yào fàng zài gān zào de dì fāng.
This bag of baking soda should be kept in a dry place.

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 蘇; 苏 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 苏 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words it is 蘇; in others it is 甦 or 囌.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

艸艸cǎograss; plant

Sound part声符shēngfú

穌

穌sū蘇Sū

Same sound today

The traditional form 蘇 uses 艸 (grass; plant) for meaning and 穌 for sound; the simplified 苏 is a later shorthand.

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

扌丁打

Meaning part形符xíngfú

扌Written in full as手shǒuhand

Sound part声符shēngfú

丁

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

打 uses 扌, a hand, to show an action done with the hand, and 丁 to give the sound.

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

米分粉

Meaning part形符xíngfú

米米mǐrice

Sound part声符shēngfú

分

Same sound today

粉 pairs 米 (rice) with 分 for its sound. The rice part points to face powder made from rice.