硅酸盐 (guī suān yán) — silicate (chemical compound)

Definition

noun

silicate (chemical compound)

硅酸盐。
Zhè zhǒng guī suān yán kuàng wù zài dì qiào zhōng hěn cháng jiàn.
This type of silicate mineral is very common in the Earth's crust.
硅酸盐。
Shuǐ ní de zhǔ yào chéng fèn shì guī suān yán.
The main component of cement is silicate.
硅酸盐。
Kē xué jiā zhèng zài yán jiū xīn de guī suān yán cái liào.
Scientists are researching new silicate materials.

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.

硅酸silicic acid

偏正Modifier + head

硅 (silicon) and 酸 (acid) form silicic acid, and 盐 (salt) names its salt.

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

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

酉夋酸

Meaning part形符xíngfú

酉酉yǒu

Sound part声符shēngfú

夋

夋qūn酸suān

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

酸 is built from 酉 and 夋, and 夋 gives the sound.

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 鹽; 盐 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

鹵鹵lǔsalt

Sound part声符shēngfú

監

監jiān鹽yán

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

The traditional form 鹽 uses 鹵 to show salt and 監 for the sound; the simplified 盐 is a later shorthand.