受潮 (shòu cháo) — to become damp, to be affected by moisture (of food, electronics, clothing, etc.)

Definition

A specific verb for absorbing moisture — used when food, books, electronics, or clothing get damp from humidity or rain. Not a general synonym for 湿: it always implies something dry becoming damp.

verb
to become dampto be affected by moisture (of food, electronics, clothing, etc.)

Examples

  • 受潮，。
    Zhè xiē bǐng gān shòu cháo le, bù néng chī le.
    These cookies have gone damp; they can't be eaten.
  • ，受潮。
    Bǎ shū fàng zài gān zào de dì fāng, yǐ miǎn shòu cháo.
    Keep the books in a dry place to prevent them from getting damp.
  • ，。
    Wǒ de xiàng jī shòu le cháo, jìng tóu qǐ le wù.
    My camera got damp and the lens fogged up.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

受shòusuffer
潮cháodampness

受 supplies suffering, 潮 supplies dampness, so it means to be affected by moisture.

Characters in this word

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

受 possibly combines 爪 and 又 as hands with 舟 as a boat, to show handing something over.

Open 受 →

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
朝
朝cháo潮cháo
Same sound today

潮 has 氵, the water form 水, on the left to show a water connection, with 朝 on the right giving the sound.

Open 潮 →

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