喹 (kuí) — used in chemical terms such as 喹啉 (quinoline)

Definition

喹 (kuí) is a bound morph — it never stands alone and appears only in chemical terms, chiefly 喹啉 (quinoline). Learners will only meet it as part of a technical compound.

bound form
used in chemical terms such as 喹啉 (quinoline)
Easily confused

Examples

  • 喹啉。
    kuí Lín shì yì zhǒng zhòng yào de yǒu jī huà hé wù.
    Quinoline is an important organic compound.
  • 喹啉。
    Zhè zhǒng yào wù hán yǒu kuí lín jié gòu.
    This drug contains a quinoline structure.
  • 喹啉C9H7N。
    kuí Lín de fēn zǐ shì shì C9H7N.
    The molecular formula of quinoline is C9H7N.

Origin

Sound + meaning
六书liùshū
形声xíngshēng

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
口口kǒumouth
Sound part声符shēngfú
圭
圭guī喹
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

喹 pairs 口 (mouth) with 圭, which gives its sound.

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