核反应 (hé fǎn yìng) — nuclear reaction

Definition

noun
nuclear reaction

Examples

  • 核反应。
    Kē xué jiā zài shí yàn shì lǐ yán jiū hé fǎn yìng.
    Scientists study nuclear reactions in the lab.
  • 核反应。
    Tài yáng nèi bù de hé fǎn yìng chǎn shēng jù dà de néng liàng.
    The nuclear reactions inside the sun produce enormous energy.
  • 核反应。
    Tā men zhèng zài tǎo lùn hé fǎn yìng de ān quán wèn tí.
    They are discussing the safety issues of nuclear reactions.

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.

核hénucleus
反应reaction
反fǎnreact应yìngrespond
联合Side by side

核 nucleus combines with 反应, where 反 and 应 both point to reacting or responding, to mean a nuclear reaction.

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
木木mùtree
Sound part声符shēngfú
亥
亥hài核hé
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

核 pairs 木, a tree, with 亥 to give its sound; it originally named a kind of tree, and its later meanings are borrowed.

Open 核 →

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
又又yòuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
厂
厂chǎng反fǎn
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

反 uses 又 (hand) for meaning and 厂 for sound. Its original shape showed a hand turning its palm over, giving the sense of return or reverse.

Open 反 →

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 應; 应 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
心心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
䧹
䧹䧹應yìng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 應 pairs 心 (heart) with 䧹 as a sound part; the simplified 应 is a later shorthand and its parts are not the original components.

Open 应 →

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