矿物质 (kuàng wù zhì) — mineral (nutrient)

Definition

noun

mineral (nutrient)

Examples

矿物质。
Shū cài zhōng hán yǒu fēng fù de kuàng wù zhì.
Vegetables are rich in minerals.
矿物质。
Zhè zhǒng kuàng quán shuǐ hán yǒu duō zhǒng kuàng wù zhì.
This mineral water contains various minerals.
矿物质。
Rén tǐ xū yào bǔ chōng zú gòu de kuàng wù zhì.
The human body needs to get enough minerals.

Origin

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 礦; 矿 is its simplified writing.

石廣礦

Meaning part形符xíngfú

石石shístone

Sound part声符shēngfú

廣

廣guǎng礦kuàng

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 礦 shows 石, meaning stone, beside 廣, which gives the sound. The simplified 矿 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the original parts.

Open 矿 →

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

牛勿物

Meaning part形符xíngfú

牛牛niú

Sound part声符shēngfú

勿

勿wù物wù

Same sound today

物 puts 牛 beside 勿: 牛 gives the meaning, and 勿 gives the sound.

Open 物 →

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