消

xiāo

氵 + 肖

HSK 3.0Level 7

Definitions

xiāo (verb) to disappear; to vanish

xiāo (verb) to eliminate

xiāo (verb) to spend (time)

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 氵 represents the meaning and 肖 represents the sound.

Semantic: 氵 Phonetic: 肖

About

消 is a phono-semantic compound: 氵, the water radical, suggests the meaning, while 肖 provides the sound. The character originally denoted the melting of ice or snow, the physical process of a solid liquefying and vanishing. This concrete sense of dissolution and disappearance then generalized to signify disappearing, eliminating, consuming, and gradually diminishing. Today, its scope extends beyond liquids and solids to abstract realms, as in the fading of news, the depletion of energy, or the eradication of negative conditions.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

这个消息很好。

Zhe4 ge5 xiao1 xi5 hen3 hao3.

This news is very good.

我们需要消毒。

Wo3 men5 xu1 yao4 xiao1 du2.

We need to disinfect.

他喜欢消遣时间。

Ta1 xi3 huan5 xiao1 qian3 shi2 jian1.

He likes to pass time leisurely.

消费水平提高了。

Xiao1 fei4 shui3 ping2 ti2 gao1 le5.

The consumption level has increased.

消极情绪不好。

Xiao1 ji2 qing2 xu4 bu4 hao3.

Negative emotions are not good.

这场雨消除了干旱。

Zhe4 chang3 yu3 xiao1 chu2 le5 gan1 han4.

This rain eliminated the drought.

政府采取了措施来消除贫困。

Zheng4 fu3 cai3 qu3 le5 cuo4 shi1 lai2 xiao1 chu2 pin2 kun4.

The government took measures to eliminate poverty.

科学家正在研究如何消融冰川。

Ke1 xue2 jia1 zheng4 zai4 yan2 jiu1 ru2 he2 xiao1 rong2 bing1 chuan1.

Scientists are researching how to melt glaciers.

Related Characters

Component: 氵

Component: 肖

消