汽 (qì) — steam; vapor
Definition
Steam or water vapor — the gas form of water, as in 汽油 (gasoline) or 汽水 (soda). Nearly always appears in compounds rather than on its own.
noun
steamvapor
Measure word · 股
Easily confused
- 忾kàilook-alike(bound form) hatred, anger (only in the chengyu 同仇敌忾)
- 器qìsound-alike(bound form) container, utensil, or ware
- 气qìlook-alike(noun) air; gas
- 弃qìsound-aliketo abandon; to give up; to discard (as a bound form in compounds)
- 契qìsound-alike(noun) contract; deed
- 泣qìsound-alike(bound form) to weep; to sob; tears (used in literary or formal compounds)
Examples
- 汽。Guō lú lǐ de qì yā hěn dà.The steam pressure in the boiler is very high.
- 。Shuǐ kāi le yǐ hòu huì biàn chéng shuǐ qì.After water boils, it turns into water vapor.
- 。Kōng qì zhōng chōng mǎn le shuǐ qì.The air is full of water vapor.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
The 氵 part is water, and 气 is used for the sound and also means air, so 汽 shows water in an air-like form.
Appears in
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