(běn) — benzene (chemical compound)

Definition

noun
benzene (chemical compound)

Examples

  • běn Shì yì zhǒng zhòng yào de huà xué wù zhì.
    Benzene is an important chemical substance.
  • Shí yàn shì lǐ bù néng suí biàn jiē chù běn.
    In the lab, you cannot casually touch benzene.
  • Zhè zhǒng cái liào hán yǒu běn de chéng fèn.
    This material contains benzene as a component.

Origin

Sound + meaning
六书liùshū
形声xíngshēng

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
Written in full ascǎo
Sound part声符shēngfú
Same sound today

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

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