晚霜 (wǎn shuāng) — late frost (spring frost that damages crops); night cream (cosmetic used before bed)

Definition

A noun with two unrelated senses: the agricultural 'late frost' (spring cold snap damaging crops) and the cosmetic 'night cream'. The same word, very different meanings — context tells you which.

noun
late frost (spring frost that damages crops)night cream (cosmetic used before bed)

Examples

  • 晚霜。
    Jīn nián chūn tiān de wǎn shuāng dòng huài le hěn duō guǒ shù.
    The late frost this spring damaged many fruit trees.
  • 晚霜。
    Wǒ měi tiān wǎn shàng dōu tú wǎn shuāng lái bǎo yǎng pí fū.
    I apply night cream every evening to take care of my skin.
  • 晚霜。
    Zhè kuǎn wǎn shuāng de bǎo shī xiào guǒ hěn hǎo.
    This night cream has a very good moisturizing effect.

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.

晚wǎnlate
霜shuāngfrost

Late timing describes a frost that falls after the usual ones, or a cream used at night.

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
日日rì
Sound part声符shēngfú
免
免miǎn晚wǎn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

晚 pairs 日, the sun part, with 免, which supplies the sound.

Open 晚 →

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
雨雨yǔrain
Sound part声符shēngfú
相
相xiāng霜shuāng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

霜 has 雨 (rain) on top for weather and 相 (xiāng) below for the sound.

Open 霜 →

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