稀释 (xī shì) — to dilute, to thin (a liquid)

Definition

verb
to diluteto thin (a liquid)
Easily confused

Examples

  • 稀释。
    Zhè zhǒng huà xué shì jì zài shǐ yòng qián xū yào xī shì.
    This chemical reagent needs to be diluted before use.
  • ，稀释。
    Yóu qī tài nóng le, jiā yì xiē shuǐ xī shì yí xià.
    The paint is too thick; add some water to thin it out.
  • ，稀释。
    Guǒ zhī tài tián, kě yǐ jiā bīng xī shì.
    The juice is too sweet; you can dilute it with ice.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

稀xīthin
释shìrelease

稀 contributes the idea of thinness and 释 that of releasing, together meaning to make a liquid thinner.

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
禾禾hégrain
Sound part声符shēngfú
希
希xī稀
Same sound today

稀 has 禾 (grain) beside 希, and 希 gives the character its sound.

Open 稀 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 釋; 释 is its simplified writing.

  • 釆釆biànto distinguish
  • 睪睪yìto release; to see

The traditional form 釋 puts 釆 (to distinguish) beside 睪, a part that gives the sound and means “to release; to see”; the simplified 释 is a later shortened shape.

Open 释 →
Appears in
Physics & Chemistry

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