孵卵 (fū luǎn) — to hatch (eggs); to incubate; to brood

Definition

A more formal/literary term than 孵, typically used in technical or written contexts (e.g. artificial incubation). Refers specifically to sitting on or warming eggs until they hatch.

verb
to hatch (eggs)to incubateto brood

Examples

  • 孵卵。
    Mǔ jī zhèng zài fū luǎn.
    The hen is hatching eggs.
  • 。
    Zhè zhī mǔ jī fū le sān gè luǎn.
    This hen hatched three eggs.
  • 孵卵。
    Rén gōng fū luǎn xū yào bǎo chí héng wēn.
    Artificial incubation requires maintaining a constant temperature.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

孵fūhatch
卵luǎneggs

孵 (hatch) acts on 卵 (eggs) to mean hatch or incubate.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
卵卵luǎnegg
Sound part声符shēngfú
孚
孚fú孵fū
Same sound today

The left part 卵 means egg, and the right part 孚 gives 孵 its sound.

Open 孵 →

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

卵 comes from a picture of eggs or spawn.

Open 卵 →

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