柠檬酸 (níng méng suān) — citric acid

Definition

noun
citric acid

Examples

  • 柠檬酸。
    níng méng suān Cháng yòng yú yǐn liào zhōng.
    Citric acid is often used in drinks.
  • 柠檬酸。
    Zhè zhǒng shuǐ guǒ hán yǒu dà liàng níng méng suān.
    This type of fruit contains a lot of citric acid.
  • 柠檬酸。
    níng méng suān Kě yǐ qù chú shuǐ gòu.
    Citric acid can remove limescale.

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.

柠檬lemon
柠níng檬méng
联绵Bound pair
酸suānacid

“柠檬” (lemon) and “酸” (acid) name the acid associated with lemon.

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 檸; 柠 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
木木mù
Sound part声符shēngfú
寧
寧níng檸
Same sound today

The traditional form 檸 combines 木 (wood) with 寧, which supplies the sound; the simplified 柠 is a later shortened shape.

Open 柠 →

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
木木mùtree
Sound part声符shēngfú
蒙
蒙méng檬
Same sound today

檬 pairs 木, a tree, with 蒙 for its sound.

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
酉酉yǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
夋
夋qūn酸suān
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

酸 is built from 酉 and 夋, and 夋 gives the sound.

Open 酸 →

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