饵料 (ěr liào) — bait

Definition

noun
bait

Examples

  • ，饵料。
    Diào yú de shí hou, ěr liào de xuǎn zé hěn zhòng yào.
    When fishing, the choice of bait is very important.
  • 饵料。
    Zhè zhǒng ěr liào zhuān mén yòng lái bǔ zhuō xiā xiè.
    This type of bait is specifically used to catch shrimp and crabs.
  • 饵料，。
    Tā zài hé biān sā le yì xiē ěr liào, hěn kuài jiù yǐn lái le yú qún.
    He scattered some bait by the river, and soon attracted a school of fish.

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.

饵ěrbait
料liàomaterial

“饵” is bait, and “料” is material for it.

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 餌; 饵 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
食食shíto eat
Sound part声符shēngfú
耳
耳ěr餌ěr
Same sound today

The traditional form 餌 pairs 食 (to eat) with 耳, which gives the sound; 饵 is a simplified shorthand.

Open 饵 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

料 combines 米 (rice) with 斗 (a dipper), showing rice being measured or gauged.

Open 料 →

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