酵母菌 (jiào mǔ jūn) — yeast (the single-celled fungus used in baking…

Definition

noun

yeast (the single-celled fungus used in baking and brewing)

酵母菌。
Zuò miàn bāo de shí hou xū yào jiā rù jiào mǔ jūn.
When making bread, you need to add yeast.
酵母菌。
jiào mǔ jūn Zài wēn nuǎn de huán jìng lǐ fán zhí dé hěn kuài.
Yeast reproduces very quickly in a warm environment.
酵母菌。
Zhè zhǒng jiào mǔ jūn kě yǐ yòng lái niàng zào pí jiǔ.
This type of yeast can be used to brew beer.

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.

酵母yeast

酵jiàofermentation母mǔmother

偏正Modifier + head

酵母, the fermentation mother, names the kind of 菌 that makes bread and wine rise.

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.

酉孝酵

Meaning part形符xíngfú

酉酉yǒu

Sound part声符shēngfú

孝

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

酵 pairs 酉, a vessel for making drink, with 孝, which gives the sound; 孝’s ‘young + old’ parts also hint at aging in the vessel, as fermentation does.

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

艹囷菌

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.