助消化 (zhù xiāo huā) — to aid digestion

Definition

A verb-object phrase meaning 'to help / aid digestion' — typically used to describe foods, drinks, or activities (yogurt, tea, walking) that make digestion easier.

verb
to aid digestion

Examples

  • 助消化。
    Fàn hòu chī diǎn shuǐ guǒ kě yǐ zhù xiāo huā.
    Eating some fruit after a meal can aid digestion.
  • 。
    Zhè zhǒng chá néng zhù yí xià xiāo huà.
    This kind of tea can help digestion a bit.
  • 助消化。
    Yī shēng jiàn yì hē suān nǎi lái zhù xiāo huā.
    The doctor recommends drinking yogurt to aid digestion.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

助zhùaid
消化digestion
消xiāoconsume化huàtransform
联合Side by side

The aid in 助 and the digesting in 消化 combine to mean help digestion.

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
力力lìstrong arm
Sound part声符shēngfú
且
且qiě助zhù
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

助 pairs 力, a strong arm, with 且, which gives the sound; the meaning is help with strength.

Open 助 →

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
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
肖
肖xiào消xiāo
Same sound today

消 has 氵 (water) beside 肖. The water part connects to putting out or making something vanish, and 肖 gives the sound.

Open 消 →

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

化 shows two person figures, one upright and one upside down, to give the idea of reversal or change.

Open 化 →

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