苯甲酸 (běn jiǎ suān) — benzoic acid (C6H5COOH) | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

benzoic acid (C6H5COOH)

Examples

苯甲酸。
Zhè zhǒng yǐn liào lǐ hán yǒu běn jiǎ suān.
This beverage contains benzoic acid.
苯甲酸。
běn jiǎ suān Shì yì zhǒng cháng jiàn de shí pǐn fáng fǔ jì.
Benzoic acid is a common food preservative.
苯甲酸。
Shí yàn shì lǐ bǎo cún zhe yì xiē běn jiǎ suān.
Some benzoic acid is stored in the laboratory.

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.

苯běnbenzene

甲酸formic acid

甲jiǎformic酸suānacid

偏正Modifier + head

苯 (benzene) plus 甲酸 (acid) names the acid associated with benzene.

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.

艹本苯

Meaning part形符xíngfú

艹Written in full as艸cǎo

Sound part声符shēngfú

本

Same sound today

The top part 艹 relates to plants, and the bottom part 本 shows the pronunciation.

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

甲 is drawn as a hard protective shell, carapace, or scales of an animal, or as armor made of connected plates.

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

酉夋酸

Meaning part形符xíngfú

酉酉yǒu

Sound part声符shēngfú

夋

夋qūn酸suān

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

酸 is built from 酉 and 夋, and 夋 gives the sound.

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.