蒸笼 (zhēng lóng) — food steamer | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

food steamer

Measure word · 个

蒸笼，。
Yòng zhēng lóng zhēng bāo zi, wèi dào tè bié hǎo.
Steaming buns in a bamboo steamer gives them a great flavor.
蒸笼。
Zhè ge zhēng lóng shì zhú zi zuò de.
This steamer is made of bamboo.
蒸笼，。
Bǎ zhēng lóng fàng zài guō shàng, zhēng shí wǔ fēn zhōng.
Put the steamer on the pot and steam for fifteen minutes.

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.

蒸 and 笼 combine to mean a basket used for steaming food.

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

艸艸cǎograss

Sound part声符shēngfú

烝

烝zhēng蒸zhēng

Same sound today

蒸 pairs 艸 (grass) with 烝, which gives the sound.

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 籠; 笼 is its simplified writing.

𥫗龍籠

Meaning part形符xíngfú

𥫗Written in full as竹zhú

Sound part声符shēngfú

龍

龍lóng籠lóng

Same sound today

The traditional form 籠 is built from 竹 (bamboo) and 龍, which gives the sound. The simplified 笼 is a later shorthand.