蛋黄 (dàn huáng) — yolk

Definition

noun
yolk
Easily confused

Examples

  • 蛋黄。
    Zhè ge dàn huáng de yán sè hěn huáng.
    This yolk is very yellow in color.
  • 蛋黄，。
    Wǒ xǐ huan chī dàn huáng, dàn bù xǐ huan chī dàn bái.
    I like to eat yolk, but I don't like to eat egg white.
  • ，蛋黄。
    Zuò dàn gāo de shí hou, yào bǎ dàn huáng hé dàn bái fēn kāi.
    When making cake, you need to separate the yolk from the egg white.

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.

蛋dànegg
黄huángyellow

蛋黄 combines 蛋 (egg) with 黄 (yellow), referring to the yellow part of an egg.

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
虫虫chóngsnake, insect
Sound part声符shēngfú
延
延yán蛋dàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 蛋, the lower part 虫 is a snake or insect, and the upper part is a shortened 延 giving the sound for 'egg'.

Open 蛋 →

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 黃; 黄 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
田田tiánfield
Sound part声符shēngfú
炗
炗guāng黃huáng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 黃 pairs 田 (field) with 炗 (light), which gives the sound; the simplified 黄 is a shorthand and its parts are not historical components.

Open 黄 →
Appears in
Food (General)

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