液体 (yè tǐ) — liquid

Definition

noun
liquid

Examples

  • ，液体。
    Wēn dù shēng gāo shí, yè tǐ kě néng huì biàn chéng qì tǐ.
    When the temperature rises, the liquid may turn into a gas.
  • 液体，。
    Zhè zhǒng yè tǐ méi yǒu yán sè, yě méi yǒu qì wèi.
    This liquid has no color and no smell.
  • 液体？
    Píng zi lǐ zhuāng de shì shén me yè tǐ?
    What liquid is in the 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.

液yèliquid
体tǐbody

液 gives liquid, and 体 gives body or substance, together meaning a liquid substance.

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
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
夜
夜yè液yè
Same sound today

The left side 氵 is water, and the right side 夜 gives the sound; together they form 液, a liquid, like water.

Open 液 →

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 體; 体 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
骨骨gǔbone
Sound part声符shēngfú
豊
豊lǐ體tǐ
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 體 pairs 骨 (bone) with 豊 as a sound part; this note is about 體, not about the parts of 体.

Open 体 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 6HSK 2.0 Level 5Materials & Substances

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