食物链 (shí wù liàn) — food chain | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

food chain

Examples

，食物链。
Zài zì rán jiè zhōng, shí wù liàn fēi cháng zhòng yào.
In the natural world, the food chain is very important.
食物链。
Shī zi zài shí wù liàn de zuì dǐng duān.
Lions are at the top of the food chain.
食物链。
Wū rǎn huì pò huài zhěng gè shí wù liàn.
Pollution can destroy the entire food chain.

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.

食物

食shíeat物wùthing

偏正Modifier + head

食 (eat) and 物 (thing) form food, which with 链 (chain) describes a linked chain of food.

Characters in this word

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

亼亼jímouth
皀皀jía bowl of rice on a stand

The form behind 食 shows 亼, a mouth, together with 皀, a bowl of rice on a stand. In modern 食, the bowl part has changed shape.

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

牛勿物

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

勿

勿wù物wù

Same sound today

物 puts 牛 beside 勿: 牛 gives the meaning, and 勿 gives the sound.

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 鏈; 链 is its simplified writing.

金連鏈

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

連

連lián鏈liàn

Same sound today

The traditional form 鏈 pairs 金 (metal) with 連, which gives the sound; the simplified 链 is a shorthand and its parts are not the historical parts.

Appears in

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