磷 (lín) — phosphorus
Definition
noun
phosphorus
Easily confused
- 鳞línlook-alikescales (of fish, reptiles, etc.)
- 林línsound-alikeforest, woods (used in compound words)
- 琳línsound-alikefine jade; a variety of jade
- 淋línsound-aliketo drench, to pour (a liquid) over
- 临línsound-aliketo face, to overlook (a location or situation)
- 邻línsound-alike(bound form) neighbor; adjacent; near
Examples
- 磷。lín Shì yì zhǒng zhòng yào de huà xué yuán sù.Phosphorus is an important chemical element.
- 。Bái lín zài kōng qì zhōng huì zì rán.White phosphorus ignites spontaneously in air.
- 磷。Zhí wù shēng zhǎng xū yào lín zuò wéi yǎng fèn.Plants need phosphorus as a nutrient.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
Sound part声符shēngfú
粦
粦lín磷lín
Same sound today
磷 is built from 石 (stone) and 粦, which provides the sound.
Appears in
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