氧化铁 (yǎng huà tiě) — iron oxide; ferric oxide

Definition

noun

iron oxideferric oxide

氧化铁。
Zhè zhǒng yán liào hán yǒu yǎng huà tiě.
This pigment contains iron oxide.
氧化铁。
yǎng huà tiě Shì yì zhǒng cháng jiàn de hóng sè yán liào.
Iron oxide is a common red pigment.
氧化铁。
Tiě shēng xiù hòu huì chǎn shēng yǎng huà tiě.
Iron produces iron oxide after rusting.

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oxidation

偏正Modifier + head

氧化铁 names iron combined with oxygen: 氧化 points to the oxide form, and 铁 identifies the iron.

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 鐵; 铁 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

金金jīnmetal

Sound part声符shēngfú

𢧤

𢧤𢧤鐵tiě

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

The traditional form 鐵 pairs 金 (metal) with 𢧤 as a sound part; the simplified 铁 is a later shorthand.