汽油弹 (qì yóu dàn) — incendiary bomb (e.g., napalm bomb or Molotov c… | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

incendiary bomb (e.g., napalm bomb or Molotov cocktail)

Measure word · 枚

Examples

汽油弹。
Zhàn zhēng zhōng shǐ yòng le dà liàng de qì yóu dàn.
A large number of incendiary bombs were used in the war.
汽油弹。
Zhè zhǒng qì yóu dàn de wēi lì fēi cháng dà.
This type of incendiary bomb is extremely powerful.
汽油弹。
Jǐng fāng fā xiàn le yí gè zì zhì de qì yóu dàn.
The police found a homemade incendiary bomb.

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.

汽油gasoline

汽qìsteam油yóuoil

偏正Modifier + head

汽油 is gasoline, and 弹 is a bomb.

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.

氵气汽

Meaning part形符xíngfú

氵Written in full as水shuǐwater

Sound part声符shēngfú

气

Same sound today

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.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

氵由油

Meaning part形符xíngfú

氵Written in full as水shuǐwater

Sound part声符shēngfú

由

由yóu油yóu

Same sound today

油 is built from 氵, a water part, and 由, which supplies 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 彈; 弹 is its simplified writing.

弓單彈

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

單

單dān彈tán

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

The traditional form 彈 pairs 弓 (bow) with the sound part 單; the simplified 弹 is a shorthand.

Appears in

Military & Defense

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