化学元素 (huà xué yuán sù) — chemical element

Definition

noun

chemical element

Measure word · 种

化学元素。
Shuǐ shì yóu liǎng zhǒng huà xué yuán sù zǔ chéng de.
Water is composed of two chemical elements.
化学元素。
Yǎng shì yì zhǒng cháng jiàn de huà xué yuán sù.
Oxygen is a common chemical element.
化学元素。
Kē xué jiā fā xiàn le xīn de huà xué yuán sù.
Scientists discovered a new chemical element.

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.

化学chemistry

偏正Modifier + head

元素element

元yuánprimary素sùbasic substance

偏正Modifier + head

化学 means chemistry and 元素 means element, giving chemical element.

Characters in this word

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.

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 學; 学 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 學 may have used 爻 and 六 for sound, with hands and a child added later; the simplified 学 is a shorthand.

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

The shape 元 shows a figure with two lines for a head, one connected to the body and one above it, emphasizing the head.

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

The shape of 素 came from a picture of hands braiding thread.