(liú) — sulfur (chemical element S)

Definition

noun
sulfur (chemical element S)

Examples

  • Zhè zhǒng kuàng wù hán yǒu dà liàng de liú.
    This mineral contains a large amount of sulfur.
  • liú Zài gōng yè zhōng yǒu hěn duō yòng tú.
    Sulfur has many uses in industry.
  • Huǒ shān pēn fā shí huì shì fàng chū liú de cì bí qì wèi.
    Volcanic eruptions release a pungent smell of sulfur.

Origin

Sound + meaning
六书liùshū
形声xíngshēng

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
shístone
Sound part声符shēngfú
liúliú
Same sound today

The left part 石 is stone; the right part 流 supplies the sound liú.

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