About
The character 氧 is a modern phono-semantic compound, coined during the translation of Western chemistry texts to name oxygen. It pairs the semantic radical 气 ('gas' or 'air') with the phonetic component 羊, which indicates the pronunciation. 羊 was chosen to approximate the sound of 養 ('nourish') because oxygen was understood as the nourishing, life-sustaining gas essential for respiration and combustion. This character has no figurative or extended meanings; it is purely a scientific term for the element.
Example Sentences Hide
植物产生氧气。
人类呼吸需要氧气。
水中有溶解的氧气。
登山者携带氧气瓶。
铁在空气中会氧化。
医院给病人提供氧气。
光合作用释放出氧气。
臭氧层保护地球免受紫外线伤害。
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