啤酒花 (pí jiǔ huā) — hops (the plant used in beer-making) | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

hops (the plant used in beer-making)

Measure word · 种

Examples

啤酒花。
pí jiǔ huā Shì niàng zào pí jiǔ de zhòng yào yuán liào.
Hops are an important ingredient in brewing beer.
啤酒花，。
Zhè zhǒng pí jiǔ yòng le hěn duō pí jiǔ huā, suǒ yǐ wèi dào hěn kǔ.
This type of beer uses a lot of hops, so it tastes very bitter.
啤酒花。
Nóng mín zài tián lǐ zhòng zhí pí jiǔ huā.
Farmers grow hops in the fields.

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.

啤酒beer

啤píbeer酒jiǔalcohol

偏正Modifier + head

啤酒花 is the 花 associated with 啤酒, the plant used to flavor beer.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

口卑啤

Meaning part形符xíngfú

口口kǒumouth (phonetic)

Sound part声符shēngfú

卑

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

啤 combines 口 (mouth) with 卑, which gives the sound bēi.

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

Sound part声符shēngfú

酉

酉yǒu酒jiǔ

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

酒 pairs 酉, the original picture for this word, with 水 (water), added later to distinguish it.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

艹化花

Meaning part形符xíngfú

艹Written in full as艸cǎograss; plant

Sound part声符shēngfú

化

Same sound today

花 pairs 艹 (grass; plant) with 化, which gives the sound.

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