融解 (róng jiě) — to thaw, to melt (of ice, snow, or frozen food)

Definition

Written/formal verb meaning 'to thaw, to melt' — used for ice, snow, or frozen food. Compare 融化 (more general, also figurative), 熔化 (melting metals at high heat).

verb
to thawto melt (of ice, snow, or frozen food)
Easily confused

Examples

  • 融解。
    Bīng zài chūn tiān huì róng jiě.
    Ice will thaw in spring.
  • 融解。
    Bǎ dòng ròu fàng zài shuǐ lǐ róng jiě.
    Thaw the frozen meat in water.
  • 融解。
    Xuě zài yáng guāng xià màn màn dì róng jiě le.
    The snow slowly melted in the sunlight.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

融róngmelt
解jiědissolve

融 (melt) and 解 (dissolve) work together to mean thaw.

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
鬲鬲gécauldron
Sound part声符shēngfú
蟲
蟲chóng融róng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

融 pairs 鬲, a cauldron, with 蟲, which gives the sound.

Open 融 →

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

解 shows 刀 (knife) separating 角 (horn) from 牛 (cow), giving the picture of cutting up an ox.

Open 解 →

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