煤渣 (méi zhā) — coal cinder; cinder (from burning coal) | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

coal cindercinder (from burning coal)

Measure word · 块

Examples

煤渣。
méi zhā Kě yǐ yòng lái pū lù.
Cinders can be used to pave roads.
煤渣。
Tā bǎ méi zhā dào jìn le lā jī tǒng.
He dumped the cinders into the trash can.
煤渣。
Gōng chǎng měi tiān chǎn shēng dà liàng méi zhā.
The factory produces a large amount of cinders every day.

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.

Coal and cinder combine to name the residue left after burning coal.

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.

火某煤

Meaning part形符xíngfú

火火huǒfire

Sound part声符shēngfú

某

某mǒu煤méi

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

煤 puts 火 (fire) on the left and 某 on the right; the fire part relates to coal, and 某 gives the sound.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

氵查渣

Meaning part形符xíngfú

氵Written in full as水shuǐ

Sound part声符shēngfú

查

查chá渣zhā(r)

Same sound today

渣 combines 氵 (water) with 查, which gives the sound.

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