挥发性 (huī fā xìng) — volatility (the property of evaporating easily at room temperature)

Definition

Refers to the tendency of a liquid (solvents, perfumes, etc.) to evaporate easily at normal temperatures. Used mainly in scientific, chemical, and technical contexts.

noun
volatility (the property of evaporating easily at room temperature)

Examples

  • 挥发性，。
    Zhè zhǒng róng jì de huī fā xìng hěn gāo, shǐ yòng shí yào tè bié xiǎo xīn.
    This solvent has high volatility; you need to be especially careful when using it.
  • 挥发性。
    Xiāng shuǐ de huī fā xìng jué dìng le tā liú xiāng de shí jiān cháng duǎn.
    The volatility of perfume determines how long the scent lasts.
  • 挥发性。
    Shí yàn zhèng míng zhè zhǒng wù zhì de huī fā xìng bǐ wǒ men yù xiǎng de yào kuài.
    Experiments show that the volatility of this substance is faster than we expected.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

挥发evaporate
挥huīscatter发fāemit
联合Side by side
性xìngproperty

“挥” and “发” suggest scattering out, and “性” gives the sense of a property of doing so.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 揮; 挥 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
扌Written in full as手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
軍
軍jūn揮huī
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 揮 pairs 扌 (hand) with 軍 as a sound part; the simplified 挥 is a shorthand, so its right side is not the historical component.

Open 挥 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 發; 发 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 发 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (爆发, 出发) it is 發; in others (理发, 头发) it is 髮.

The form 發, which 发 stands for in many words, was originally drawn as a bow firing an arrow.

Open 发 →

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
忄Written in full as心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
生
生shēng性xìng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

性 is built from 忄 (the heart) and 生 (a sound clue). The heart part connects the word to a person's inner nature or quality.

Open 性 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.