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薄膜 (bó mó) — (n) membrane (e.g., biological cell membrane); (n) thin film (e.g., plastic wrap, coating)

Definition

A technical noun for a very thin layer (薄 'thin' + 膜 'membrane/film'). Refers to biological membranes (e.g., cell membranes) as well as manufactured thin films like plastic wrap or coatings, measured with 层.

noun
(n) membrane (e.g., biological cell membrane)(n) thin film (e.g., plastic wrap, coating)
Measure word · 层

Examples

  • 薄膜。
    Xì bāo bó mó duì wù zhì jiāo huàn fēi cháng zhòng yào.
    Cell membranes are very important for material exchange.
  • 薄膜。
    Yòng sù liào bó mó bǎ shí wù bāo qǐ lái kě yǐ bǎo xiān.
    Using plastic film to wrap food can keep it fresh.
  • 薄膜，。
    Zhè zhǒng bó mó hěn báo, ná de shí hou yào xiǎo xīn.
    This kind of film is very thin; be careful when handling it.

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.

薄báothin
膜mómembrane

薄 gives thinness and 膜 gives a covering layer, so it is a thin membrane.

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
艹Written in full as艸cǎo
Sound part声符shēngfú
溥
溥pǔ薄báo
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

薄 combines 艹, a grass part, with 溥 as the sound part.

Open 薄 →

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
⺼Written in full as肉ròu
Sound part声符shēngfú
莫
莫mò膜mó
Same sound today

膜 combines ⺼ (written in full as 肉) with 莫, which gives the character its sound.

Open 膜 →
Appears in
Materials & Substances

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