麦芽糖 (mài yá táng) — maltose; malt-sugar candy

Definition

noun
maltosemalt-sugar candy
Measure word · 块

Examples

  • 麦芽糖，。
    Zhè zhǒng mài yá táng hěn tián, xiǎo péng yǒu dōu xǐ huan.
    This kind of malt-sugar candy is very sweet; kids all like it.
  • 麦芽糖。
    mài yá táng Kě yǐ yòng lái zuò hěn duō chuán tǒng diǎn xin.
    Maltose can be used to make many traditional pastries.
  • 麦芽糖，。
    Tā mǎi le yí kuài mài yá táng, biān zǒu biān chī.
    He bought a piece of malt-sugar candy and ate it while walking.

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.

麦芽malt
麦màiwheat/barley芽yásprout
偏正Modifier + head
糖tángsugar

麦芽 is the sprouted grain used for malt, and 糖 is sugar, so 麦芽糖 is malt sugar.

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 麥; 麦 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
夊夊suīfootprint pointing down; to walk slowly
Sound part声符shēngfú
來
來lái麥mài
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

For 麦, the traditional form 麥 pairs 來, which gives the sound and once meant wheat, with 夊, a footprint pointing down for slow walking.

Open 麦 →

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
艹Written in full as艸cǎograss
Sound part声符shēngfú
牙
牙yá芽yá
Same sound today

芽 has 艹 (grass) on top and 牙 (yá) below, which gives the sound.

Open 芽 →

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
米米mǐrice
Sound part声符shēngfú
唐
唐táng糖
Same sound today

糖 is made from 米 (rice) and 唐, which gives the sound táng.

Open 糖 →

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