奶酪 (nǎi lào) — cheese | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

cheese

Measure word · 块

Examples

奶酪。
Zhè kuài nǎi lào kàn qǐ lái hěn hǎo chī.
This piece of cheese looks delicious.
奶酪。
Chāo shì lǐ yǒu gè zhǒng gè yàng de nǎi lào.
There are all kinds of cheese in the supermarket.
奶酪。
Tā xǐ huan bǎ nǎi lào fàng zài miàn bāo shàng chī.
He likes to eat cheese on bread.

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.

奶 (milk) and 酪 (curd) combine to mean cheese.

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.

女乃奶

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

乃

乃nǎi奶nǎi

Same sound today

奶 combines 女, a woman, and 乃, which gives the sound.

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

各酉酪

Meaning part形符xíngfú

酉酉yǒualcohol; fermented drink

Sound part声符shēngfú

各

各gè酪lào

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

酪 pairs 各, which gives its sound, with 酉, meaning alcohol or fermented drink.

Appears in

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