蜡纸 (là zhǐ) — waxed paper; stencil paper (for mimeograph mach… | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Wax- or oil-treated paper. The supermarket sense is food wrapping paper; the same word also means the stencil paper used in mimeograph/ditto machines for printing copies.

noun

waxed paperstencil paper (for mimeograph machines)

Measure word · 张

Examples

蜡纸。
Qǐng yòng là zhǐ bǎ dàn gāo bāo qǐ lái.
Please wrap the cake with waxed paper.
蜡纸。
Zhè zhāng là zhǐ yǐ jīng yòng guò le.
This stencil paper has already been used.
蜡纸。
Chāo shì lǐ yǒu gè zhǒng chǐ cùn de là zhǐ.
The supermarket has waxed paper in various sizes.

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.

蜡, meaning wax, combines with 纸 to name paper coated with wax.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 蠟; 蜡 is its simplified writing.

虫巤蠟

Meaning part形符xíngfú

虫虫chónginsect

Sound part声符shēngfú

巤

巤liè蠟là

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 蠟 has 虫 (insect) and 巤 (sound); the simplified 蜡 is a shorthand.

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 紙; 纸 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

糸糸mìsilk

Sound part声符shēngfú

氏

氏shì紙zhǐ

Same sound today

For 纸, the traditional form 紙 combines 糸 (silk) with 氏 (the sound part).

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