泥炭 (ní tàn) — peat | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

peat

Examples

泥炭。
Nóng mín zài dōng tiān yòng ní tàn zuò wéi rán liào.
Farmers use peat as fuel in winter.
泥炭。
ní tàn Kě yǐ gǎi shàn huā yuán de tǔ rǎng zhì liàng.
Peat can improve the soil quality in gardens.
泥炭。
ní tàn Shì zài zhǎo zé zhōng jīng guò cháng shí jiān xíng chéng de.
Peat is formed in swamps over a long period.

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.

Mud-like 泥 with coal-like 炭 names a soft, muddy fuel material.

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.

氵尼泥

Meaning part形符xíngfú

氵Written in full as水shuǐwater

Sound part声符shēngfú

尼

尼ní泥nì

Same sound today

The left side is 氵, the water part; the right side is 尼, 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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

火火huǒfire

Sound part声符shēngfú

岸

岸àn炭tàn

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

炭 combines 火 (fire) with 岸, which provides the sound. The 火 part connects the character to fire or burning material.

Appears in

Materials & Substances

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