聚丙烯 (jù bǐng xī) — polypropylene | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

polypropylene

聚丙烯。
Zhè zhǒng jù bǐng xī cái liào hěn nài yòng.
This kind of polypropylene material is very durable.
聚丙烯。
jù bǐng xī Kě yǐ yòng lái zuò sù liào píng.
Polypropylene can be used to make plastic bottles.
聚丙烯。
Gōng chǎng shēng chǎn le dà liàng de jù bǐng xī.
The factory produced a large amount of polypropylene.

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.

聚jùpolymerized

丙烯propylene

丙bǐngthree-carbon烯xīalkene

偏正Modifier + head

聚 (polymerized) and 丙烯 (three-carbon alkene) name the material formed from propylene.

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.

取乑聚

Meaning part形符xíngfú

乑乑yínthree men

Sound part声符shēngfú

取

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

聚 is built from 取, which gives the sound, and 乑, drawn as three men, to show people coming together.

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The old shape of 丙 may have drawn a pedestal or small table, but its original picture is uncertain; it was used early for the third Heavenly Stem.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

火希烯

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

希

Same sound today

烯 pairs 火 (fire) with 希, which gives the sound.