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分子 (fèn zǐ) — member (of a group or organization); element; component; (suffix) -ist; -ist element (used to form nouns for types of people)

Definition

As a noun, 分子 means a 'member' of a group or an 'element/component' of a whole. The suffix -子 turns a quality or field into a person who embodies it (e.g., 知识分子 'intellectual', 积极分子 'activist').

noun
member (of a group or organization)elementcomponent
suffix
-ist-ist element (used to form nouns for types of people)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 分子。
    Tā shì wǒ men tuán duì zhōng zuì huó yuè de fèn zǐ.
    He is the most active member of our team.
  • 分子。
    Kōng qì yóu duō zhǒng fèn zǐ zǔ chéng.
    Air is composed of many elements.
  • ，。
    Zài hěn duō guó jiā, zhī shi fèn zǐ dōu shòu dào zūn zhòng.
    In many countries, intellectuals are respected.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

分fēnshare
子zǐthing/person

分子 names a part or member: 分 is a share or constituent, and 子 points to the thing or person involved.

Characters in this word

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

分 pairs 八 (to separate) with 刀 (knife), showing something cut apart with a knife.

Open 分 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

子 is drawn as a baby with a large head, arms stretched out, and legs wrapped in a blanket.

Open 子 →
Appears in
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