消毒 (xiāo dú) — to disinfect, to sterilize | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

To disinfect or sterilize physical objects, spaces, or wounds. 杀毒 is the computing term for killing computer viruses — not used for surfaces or skin.

verb

to disinfectto sterilize

Examples

消毒。
Yī shēng zhèng zài gěi shǒu shù shì xiāo dú.
The doctor is disinfecting the operating room.
。
Zhè ge yóu yǒng chí měi tiān xiāo liǎng cì dú.
This swimming pool is disinfected twice a day.
消毒。
Nǐ jì de yòng jiǔ jīng xiāo dú shāng kǒu.
Remember to disinfect the wound with alcohol.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

毒dúpoison

消 means to remove, and 毒 refers to poison or germs, so the word means to disinfect.

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.

氵肖消

Meaning part形符xíngfú

氵Written in full as水shuǐwater

Sound part声符shēngfú

肖

肖xiào消xiāo

Same sound today

消 has 氵 (water) beside 肖. The water part connects to putting out or making something vanish, and 肖 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

屮屮chèvegetation

Sound part声符shēngfú

毐

毐ǎi毒dú

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

毒 pairs 屮, a plant part, with 毐 as a sound part; this form was used for a poisonous plant.

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 6 HSK 2.0 Level 6 Hygiene & Grooming

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