水蒸气 (shuǐ zhēng qì) — water vapor, steam | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

water vaporsteam

Easily confused

水蒸汽shuǐ zhēng qìlook-alikewater vapor, steam

Examples

水蒸气。
Kōng qì zhōng de shuǐ zhēng qì yù lěng huì biàn chéng shuǐ.
Water vapor in the air turns into water when it encounters cold.
水蒸气。
Shuǐ shāo kāi hòu mào chū bái sè de shuǐ zhēng qì.
After water boils, white steam comes out.
水蒸气。
shuǐ zhēng qì Shì kàn bú jiàn de.
Water vapor is invisible.

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.

蒸气vapor

蒸zhēngsteam气qìgas

偏正Modifier + head

水 names water, and 蒸气 names vapor, so the whole means water vapor or steam.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

水 is a simple drawing of water flowing.

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

艸艸cǎograss

Sound part声符shēngfú

烝

烝zhēng蒸zhēng

Same sound today

蒸 pairs 艸 (grass) with 烝, which gives the sound.

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 氣; 气 is its simplified writing.

气米氣

Meaning part形符xíngfú

米米mǐrice

Sound part声符shēngfú

气

气qì氣qì

Same sound today

The traditional form 氣 pairs 米 (rice) with 气, which supplies the sound; the simplified 气 is a later abbreviation.

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