氧化剂 (yǎng huà jì) — oxidizing agent

Definition

noun

oxidizing agent

氧化剂。
Zhè zhǒng yǎng huà jì zài shí yàn shì lǐ hěn cháng jiàn.
This type of oxidizing agent is very common in labs.
氧化剂。
Hěn duō xiāo dú jì dōu hán yǒu yǎng huà jì.
Many disinfectants contain oxidizing agents.
氧化剂。
yǎng huà jì Zài rì cháng shēng huó zhōng yě yǒu xǔ duō yòng tú.
Oxidizing agents also have many uses in daily life.

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.

氧化oxidizing

氧yǎngoxygen化huàchemical change

偏正Modifier + head

氧 supplies oxygen, 化 gives the idea of chemical change, and 剂 names the agent that performs it.

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

Sound part声符shēngfú

養

養yǎng氧yǎng

Same sound today

氧 pairs 气 (gas) with 養 (to nourish), and 養 gives the sound yǎng.

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

化 shows two person figures, one upright and one upside down, to give the idea of reversal or change.

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 劑; 剂 is its simplified writing.

齊刂劑

Meaning part形符xíngfú

刂Written in full as刀dāo

Sound part声符shēngfú

齊

齊qí劑jì

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In the traditional form 劑, 齊 gives the sound and 刂 (刀, a knife) shows the meaning. The simplified 剂 is a later shorthand.