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密闭 (mì bì) — airtight, hermetic

Definition

adjective
airtighthermetic

Examples

  • 密闭。
    Zhè ge mì bì róng qì kě yǐ bǎo cún shí wù hěn jiǔ.
    This airtight container can keep food for a long time.
  • 密闭，。
    Shí yàn shì shì mì bì de, bù néng ràng kōng qì jìn rù.
    The laboratory is airtight; air cannot enter.
  • 密闭。
    Wǒ men xū yào yí gè mì bì de huán jìng lái wán chéng shí yàn.
    We need a sealed environment to complete the experiment.

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.

密mìtight
闭bìshut

Tight and shut combine to mean completely sealed.

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
山山shānmountain
Sound part声符shēngfú
宓
宓mì密mì
Same sound today

密 pairs 山 (mountain) with 宓 (mì), which gives the pronunciation, to picture something hidden in the mountains, hence secret.

Open 密 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 閉; 闭 is its simplified writing.

  • 門門méndoor
  • 材材cáimaterial; timber

The traditional form 閉 pairs 門 (door) with 材 (material; timber); the simplified 闭 is a later shorthand, so its right side is not the historical component.

Open 闭 →
Appears in
Texture & Quality

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