化学品 (huà xué pǐn) — chemicals

Definition

noun
chemicals
Measure word ·

Examples

  • 化学品
    Zhè zhǒng huà xué pǐn duì rén tǐ yǒu hài.
    This type of chemical is harmful to the human body.
  • 化学品
    Gōng chǎng pái fàng de huà xué pǐn wū rǎn le hé liú.
    The chemicals discharged by the factory polluted the river.
  • 化学品
    Shí yàn shì lǐ cún fàng zhe duō zhǒng huà xué pǐn.
    Various chemicals are stored in the laboratory.

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.

化学chemistry
huàchangexuéstudy
偏正Modifier + head
pǐnproduct

“化” (change) and “学” (study) make “化学”, which names the type of “品” (product).

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.

Open 化 →

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.

Open 学 →

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

品 repeats the same simple shape three times, representing various objects.

Open 品 →

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