菌 (jūn) — bacterium, germ; fungus
Definition
A bound scientific/formal word for 'bacterium' (细菌) and 'fungus/mushroom' (真菌). You will not see it alone — it always attaches to a prefix like 细- or 真- to form the full term.
bound form
bacteriumgermfungus
Examples
- ，。Xì jūn hěn xiǎo, yòng yǎn jing kàn bú jiàn.Bacteria are very small and invisible to the naked eye.
- 。Zhēn jūn kě yǐ yòng lái zuò miàn bāo hé pí jiǔ.Fungus can be used to make bread and beer.
- 。Zhè zhǒng bìng jūn huì ràng rén fā shāo.This kind of germ can give people a fever.
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.
Meaning part形符xíngfú
艹Written in full as艸cǎo
Sound part声符shēngfú
囷
囷qūn菌jūn
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
The top 艹 is a plant sign, and the lower 囷 gives the sound.
Appears in
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