甜味剂 (tián wèi jì) — sweetener (food additive)

Definition

noun
sweetener (food additive)

Examples

  • 甜味剂。
    Zhè zhǒng tián wèi jì cháng yòng yú jiǎn féi yǐn liào zhōng.
    This type of sweetener is often used in diet drinks.
  • 甜味剂，。
    tián wèi jì De tián dù bǐ táng gāo hěn duō, dàn rè liàng hěn dī.
    The sweetness of sweeteners is much higher than sugar, but the calories are very low.
  • 甜味剂。
    Yī shēng jiàn yì jiǎn shǎo rén gōng tián wèi jì de shè rù.
    Doctors recommend reducing the intake of artificial sweeteners.

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.

甜味sweet taste
甜tiánsweet味wèitaste
偏正Modifier + head
剂jìagent

'甜' (sweet) and '味' (taste) give the flavor, while '剂' (agent) names the substance.

Characters in this word

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

甜 puts 舌 (tongue) next to 甘 (sweet), showing sweetness as something the tongue perceives.

Open 甜 →

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
口口kǒumouth
Sound part声符shēngfú
未
未wèi味wèi
Same sound today

味 combines 口 (mouth) with 未, which gives the sound wèi; the mouth part relates to taste.

Open 味 →

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 劑; 剂 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
刂Written in full as刀dāo
Sound part声符shēngfú
齊
齊qí劑jì
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In the traditional form 劑, 齊 gives the sound and 刂 (刀, a knife) shows the meaning. The simplified 剂 is a later shorthand.

Open 剂 →

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