洗发精 (xǐ fà jīng) — shampoo

Definition

noun
shampoo
Measure word · 瓶

Examples

  • 洗发精。
    Wǒ mǎi le yì píng xīn de xǐ fà jīng.
    I bought a new bottle of shampoo.
  • 洗发精。
    Zhè zhǒng xǐ fà jīng de wèi dào hěn hǎo wén.
    This shampoo smells very nice.
  • 洗发精，？
    Nǐ de xǐ fà jīng kuài yòng wán le, yào bú yào zài mǎi yì píng?
    Your shampoo is almost used up, do you want to buy another bottle?

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.

洗发wash hair
洗xǐwash发fāhair
动宾Verb + object
精jīngessence

“洗发” means wash hair and “精” is an essence, so the liquid is a hair-washing essence.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
水水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
先
先xiān洗xǐ
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

洗 is built from 水 (water) and 先, which gives the character its sound.

Open 洗 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 發; 发 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 发 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (爆发, 出发) it is 發; in others (理发, 头发) it is 髮.

The form 發, which 发 stands for in many words, was originally drawn as a bow firing an arrow.

Open 发 →

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
米米mǐrice
Sound part声符shēngfú
青
青qīng精jīng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

精 pairs 米 (rice) with 青, which gives the sound; the character originally meant polished rice.

Open 精 →

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