香气 (xiāng qì) — fragrance, aroma (pleasant smell) | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

fragrancearoma (pleasant smell)

Examples

香气。
Zhè duǒ huā de xiāng qì hěn hǎo wén.
The fragrance of this flower is very pleasant.
香气。
Kā fēi de xiāng qì chōng mǎn le zhěng gè fáng jiān.
The fragrance of coffee filled the whole room.
香气。
Nǐ yí jìn mén jiù néng wén dào yì gǔ xiāng qì.
As soon as you enter, you can smell a fragrance.

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.

香xiāngfragrant

气qìair/smell

香 fragrant and 气 air/smell make a pleasant aroma.

Characters in this word

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

黍黍shǔglutinous millet
口口kǒumouth

香's early form paired 黍 (glutinous millet) with 口 (mouth), perhaps showing millet drink being taken in or offered.

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 氣; 气 is its simplified writing.

气米氣

Meaning part形符xíngfú

米米mǐrice

Sound part声符shēngfú

气

气qì氣qì

Same sound today

The traditional form 氣 pairs 米 (rice) with 气, which supplies the sound; the simplified 气 is a later abbreviation.

Appears in

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.