毒液 (dú yè) — venom, poisonous fluid (from animals or chemica… | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

venompoisonous fluid (from animals or chemical sources)

Examples

毒液。
Zhè zhǒng shé de dú yè fēi cháng wēi xiǎn.
The venom of this snake is very dangerous.
毒液。
Kē xué jiā zhèng zài yán jiū zhè zhǒng zhī zhū de dú yè.
Scientists are studying the venom of this spider.
，毒液。
Bèi yǎo hòu, dú yè huì jìn rù xuè yè.
After being bitten, the venom enters the bloodstream.

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.

毒dúpoison

液yèliquid

毒 'poison' and 液 'liquid' form poisonous liquid.

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

屮屮chèvegetation

Sound part声符shēngfú

毐

毐ǎi毒dú

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

毒 pairs 屮, a plant part, with 毐 as a sound part; this form was used for a poisonous plant.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

氵夜液

Meaning part形符xíngfú

氵Written in full as水shuǐwater

Sound part声符shēngfú

夜

夜yè液yè

Same sound today

The left side 氵 is water, and the right side 夜 gives the sound; together they form 液, a liquid, like water.

Appears in

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