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清香 (qīng xiāng) — (stative verb) to have a light, refreshing and pleasant scent (often used for tea, flowers, or fresh food)

Definition

清香 (qīng xiāng) names a light, fresh, pleasant scent — not strong or heavy. Often describes tea, flowers, or fresh food rather than perfume.

adjective
(stative verb) to have a lightrefreshing and pleasant scent (often used for tea, flowers, or fresh food)

Examples

  • 清香。
    Zhè zhǒng huā yǒu yì zhǒng dàn dàn de qīng xiāng.
    This kind of flower has a faint, refreshing fragrance.
  • 清香。
    Gāng zhǔ hǎo de mǐ fàn sàn fā zhe qīng xiāng.
    The freshly cooked rice gives off a delicate fragrance.
  • 清香。
    Chūn tiān tián yě lǐ chōng mǎn le qīng cǎo de qīng xiāng.
    In spring, the fields are filled with the fresh scent of grass.

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.

清qīngclear
香xiāngfragrant

清 gives a clear, light quality and 香 gives fragrance, together describing a delicate scent.

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
青
青qīng清qīng
Same sound today

清 has 氵 (water) on the left and 青 on the right to show its sound.

Open 清 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

香's early form paired 黍 (glutinous millet) with 口 (mouth), perhaps showing millet drink being taken in or offered.

Open 香 →
Appears in
Senses

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