(méi) — enzyme

Definition

noun
enzyme

Examples

  • méi Zài rén tǐ xiāo huà zhōng fēi cháng zhòng yào.
    Enzymes are very important in human digestion.
  • Zhè zhǒng méi kě yǐ bāng zhù fēn jiě zhī fáng.
    This enzyme can help break down fat.
  • Kē xué jiā fā xiàn le yì zhǒng xīn de méi.
    Scientists discovered a new kind of enzyme.

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
yǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
měiméi
Same sound today

酶 combines 酉, the meaning part, with 每, the sound part.

Appears in

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