芝麻酱 (zhī ma jiàng) — sesame paste | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

sesame paste

，芝麻酱。
Chī huǒ guō de shí hou, wǒ xǐ huan zhàn zhī ma jiàng.
When eating hot pot, I like to dip in sesame paste.
芝麻酱，。
Zuò liáng miàn de shí hou jiā yì sháo zhī ma jiàng, wèi dào gèng xiāng.
Add a spoonful of sesame paste when making cold noodles; it tastes more fragrant.
芝麻酱。
Chāo shì de huò jià shàng bǎi mǎn le gè zhǒng pǐn pái de zhī ma jiàng.
The supermarket shelves are filled with various brands of sesame paste.

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.

芝麻sesame

芝麻 names the sesame plant, and 酱 means paste, yielding paste made from sesame seeds.

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.

艹之芝

Meaning part形符xíngfú

艹Written in full as艸cǎograss

Sound part声符shēngfú

之

之zhī芝⁰zhī

Same sound today

芝 is built from 艹, a grass form, plus 之 as a sound part; it names a type of plant.

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

麻 combines 厂 and 𣏟 to represent hemp leaves.

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 醬; 酱 is its simplified writing.

將酉醬

Meaning part形符xíngfú

酉酉yǒudrink

Sound part声符shēngfú

將

將jiāng醬jiàng

Same sound today

The traditional form 醬 pairs 將, which suggests the sound, with 酉, a drink; the simplified 酱 is a later abbreviation.