降解 (jiàng jiě) — to degrade, to decompose

Definition

verb

to degradeto decompose

降解。
Sù liào zài zì rán huán jìng zhōng hěn nán jiàng jiě.
Plastic is very hard to degrade in the natural environment.
降解。
Zhè zhǒng wù zhì zài gāo wēn xià huì jiàng jiě chéng gèng xiǎo de fēn zǐ.
This substance degrades into smaller molecules under high temperature.
降解。
Wēi shēng wù kě yǐ bāng zhù jiàng jiě yǒu jī fèi wù.
Microorganisms can help decompose organic waste.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

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

解jiěbreak down

降 means to lower or reduce and 解 means to break down, together describing decomposition.

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.

阝夅降

Meaning part形符xíngfú

阝Written in full as阜fùhill, wall

Sound part声符shēngfú

夅

夅jiàng降xiáng

Same sound today

降 pairs 阝 (a hill or wall, written in full as 阜) with 夅, a sound part meaning 'to descend'; together they picture descending a hill.

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

角刀牛解

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

Appears in