去污剂 (qù wū jì) — stain remover, cleaning agent

Definition

noun
stain removercleaning agent

Examples

  • 去污剂。
    Zhè zhǒng qù wū jì kě yǐ qù chú yī fu shàng de wū zì.
    This kind of stain remover can remove stains from clothes.
  • 去污剂。
    Wǒ mǎi le yì píng xīn qù wū jì lái qīng jié chú fáng tái miàn.
    I bought a new bottle of cleaning agent to clean the kitchen countertop.
  • 去污剂，。
    Yòng qù wū jì zhī qián, qǐng xiān yuè dú shuō míng.
    Before using the stain remover, please read the instructions first.

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.

去污remove dirt
去qùremove污wūdirt
动宾Verb + object
剂jìagent

去污 removes dirt and 剂 gives an agent, so the whole means a dirt-removing agent.

Characters in this word

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

去 pairs 大, a man, with 口, a mouth or object. The evidence reads this as a man leaving a place, a man opening his mouth, or a cover over an object.

Open 去 →

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 汙; 污 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
水水shuǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
于
于yú汙wū
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 汙 pairs 水 (water) with 于 for the sound; the simplified 污 is a later shorthand.

Open 污 →

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 劑; 剂 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
刂Written in full as刀dāo
Sound part声符shēngfú
齊
齊qí劑jì
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In the traditional form 劑, 齊 gives the sound and 刂 (刀, a knife) shows the meaning. The simplified 剂 is a later shorthand.

Open 剂 →

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