发酸 (fā suān) — to turn sour (food); to ache dully (muscles, joints); to tingle or sting (eyes, nose)

Definition

发酸 (fā suān) covers two distinct physical sensations: food going sour, and a dull, tingly ache in muscles, joints, eyes, or nose. Choose the sense by context — 'food + 了' means turned sour; 'legs/eyes + 有点' means ache or sting.

verb
to turn sour (food)to ache dully (muscles, joints)to tingle or sting (eyes, nose)

Examples

  • ，发酸。
    Niú nǎi fàng le yì zhěng tiān, yǐ jīng fā suān le.
    The milk has been sitting out all day and has already turned sour.
  • ，发酸。
    Pǎo wán bù yǐ hòu, wǒ de tuǐ yǒu diǎn fā suān.
    After running, my legs ache a little.
  • ，发酸。
    Qiè yáng cōng de shí hou, yǎn jing huì fā suān.
    When cutting onions, your eyes will sting.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

发fābecome
酸suānsour

“发” (become) and “酸” (sour) combine to describe turning sour or a dull ache.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 發; 发 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 发 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (爆发, 出发) it is 發; in others (理发, 头发) it is 髮.

The form 發, which 发 stands for in many words, was originally drawn as a bow firing an arrow.

Open 发 →

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
酉酉yǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
夋
夋qūn酸suān
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

酸 is built from 酉 and 夋, and 夋 gives the sound.

Open 酸 →

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