碱性 (jiǎn xìng) — alkalinity; alkaline (chemical property opposite of acidity)

Definition

Noun for 'alkalinity / being alkaline' — a chemical property describing substances with a pH above 7, the opposite of 酸性 (acidity).

noun
alkalinityalkaline (chemical property opposite of acidity)

Examples

  • 碱性。
    Zhè zhǒng róng yè chéng jiǎn xìng.
    This solution is alkaline.
  • pH，碱性。
    Féi zào de pH zhí tài gāo, shǔ yú jiǎn xìng wù zhì.
    Soap has a high pH value and is an alkaline substance.
  • 碱性。
    Tǔ rǎng jiǎn xìng guò qiáng huì yǐng xiǎng zuò wù shēng zhǎng.
    If the soil is too alkaline, it will affect crop growth.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

碱jiǎnalkali
性xìngproperty

'碱' denotes alkali and '性' denotes the property of being alkaline.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
石石shí
Sound part声符shēngfú
僉
僉qiān碱
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

碱 combines 石 (stone) with 僉, which gives the pronunciation. The 石 part points to stone.

Open 碱 →

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
忄Written in full as心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
生
生shēng性xìng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

性 is built from 忄 (the heart) and 生 (a sound clue). The heart part connects the word to a person's inner nature or quality.

Open 性 →

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