糖浆 (táng jiāng) — syrup

Definition

noun
syrup

Examples

  • 糖浆
    Wǒ zài dàn gāo shàng jiā le diǎn táng jiāng.
    I added some syrup on the cake.
  • 糖浆
    Zhè zhǒng táng jiāng hěn tián, kě yǐ fàng zài kā fēi lǐ.
    This kind of syrup is very sweet and can be put in coffee.
  • 糖浆
    Yī shēng ràng wǒ hē yì diǎn táng jiāng zhǐ ké.
    The doctor told me to drink some syrup to stop coughing.

Origin

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.

jiāngliquid

“糖” names sugar, “浆” names a thick liquid, together “sugar liquid”.

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
rice
Sound part声符shēngfú
Same sound today

糖 is made from 米 (rice) and 唐, which gives the sound táng.

Open 糖 →

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 漿; 浆 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
jiāng漿jiāng
Same sound today

The traditional form 漿 uses 水 to show a liquid and 將 for the sound. The simplified 浆 is a later shorthand, so its shape is not the historical one.

Open 浆 →
Appears in

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.