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黏糊 (nián hu) — sticky, gluey; glutinous (of food, e.g., rice); slow-moving, sluggish (of a person)

Definition

Informal adjective meaning 'sticky' (substances) or 'glutinous' (food like rice cakes). For people, it describes someone slow and indecisive — they drag their feet rather than act.

adjective
stickyglueyglutinous (of food, e.g., rice)slow-movingsluggish (of a person)

Examples

  • 黏糊，。
    Zhè zhǒng jiāo shuǐ tài nián hu le, nián zài shǒu shàng hěn nán xǐ diào.
    This glue is too sticky; it's hard to wash off once it gets on your hands.
  • 黏糊，。
    Nuò mǐ zuò de nián gāo chī qǐ lái hěn nián hu, kǒu gǎn tè bié hǎo.
    Glutinous rice cakes taste very sticky and have a great texture.
  • 黏糊，。
    Tā zuò shì zǒng shì nà me nián hu, yì diǎn jué duàn lì dōu méi yǒu.
    He's always so slow and indecisive in doing things, with no decisiveness at all.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

黏niánsticky
糊húgluey

黏 'sticky' and 糊 'gluey' together describe a glutinous or sluggish feel.

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
黍黍shǔ
Sound part声符shēngfú
占
占zhàn黏
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

黏 is built from 黍, which carries the sense, and 占, which gives the sound.

Open 黏 →

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
米米mǐrice
Sound part声符shēngfú
胡
胡hú糊hú
Same sound today

糊 pairs 米 (rice) with 胡 (hú), which gives the sound. The 米 part relates to the meaning.

Open 糊 →
Appears in
Texture & Quality

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