溶解 (róng jiě) — to dissolve

Definition

溶解 is the technical term for a solid dissolving into a liquid (e.g. salt in water). Contrast with 融化 (róng huà), which is for ice/snow/wax melting from solid to liquid; 解散 is for disbanding a group.

verb
to dissolve

Examples

  • 溶解。
    Yán zài shuǐ zhōng hěn róng yì róng jiě.
    Salt dissolves easily in water.
  • 溶解。
    Yóu bù róng jiě yú shuǐ.
    Oil does not dissolve in water.
  • 溶解。
    Jiā rè kě yǐ shǐ gù tǐ gèng kuài dì róng jiě.
    Heating can make solids dissolve faster.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

溶róngdissolve
解jiědissolve

Both 溶 and 解 carry the sense of dissolving, so together they express the process of a substance becoming dissolved.

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
容
容róng溶róng
Same sound today

溶 has 氵 (water) on the left and 容 on the right, with 容 giving the sound róng.

Open 溶 →

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

解 shows 刀 (knife) separating 角 (horn) from 牛 (cow), giving the picture of cutting up an ox.

Open 解 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6Physics & Chemistry

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