(ān) — ammonia

Definition

noun
ammonia

Examples

  • Shí yàn shì lǐ chōng mǎn le cì bí de ān wèi.
    The lab was filled with the pungent smell of ammonia.
  • Zhè zhǒng qīng jié jì hán yǒu ān, shǐ yòng shí yào dài shǒu tào.
    This cleaning agent contains ammonia; wear gloves when using it.
  • Ān shì huà féi de zhòng yào chéng fèn zhī yī.
    Ammonia is an important component of fertilizer.

Origin

Sound + meaning
六书liùshū
形声xíngshēng

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
gas
Sound part声符shēngfú
ānān
Same sound today

氨 pairs 气 (gas) with 安, which gives the sound ān; the 气 part shows that it names a gas.

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