脂

zhī

旨 + 月

Definitions

zhī fat; rouge (cosmetics); resin

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. ⺼ represents the meaning and 旨 represents the sound.

Semantic: ⺼ Phonetic: 旨

About

The character 脂 is a phono-semantic compound: the left-side radical 月 (⺼), meaning 'flesh' or 'meat,' provides the semantic category, linking the character to the body or animal tissue. On the right, 旨 serves as the phonetic component. In origin, 脂 referred to animal fat, a prized element of historical culinary practice. Over centuries, its meaning extended beyond edible animal fat to encompass plant resins, greases, and cosmetic preparations, most prominently rouge (胭脂). This semantic broadening mirrors the everyday use of thick, lipid-rich substances.

Etymology Hide

Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

牛奶中含有脂肪。

Niú nǎi zhōng hán yǒu zhī fáng.

Milk contains fat.

脱脂牛奶更健康。

Tuō zhī niú nǎi gèng jiàn kāng.

Skim milk is healthier.

她每天使用脂粉化妆。

Tā měi tiān shǐ yòng zhī fěn huà zhuāng.

She uses makeup every day.

过量摄入脂肪有害健康。

Guò liàng shè rù zhī fáng yǒu hài jiàn kāng.

Excessive fat intake is harmful to health.

树脂是一种常见的工业原料。

Shù zhī shì yī zhǒng cháng jiàn de gōng yè yuán liào.

Resin is a common industrial raw material.

磷脂对细胞膜的结构至关重要。

Lín zhī duì xì bāo mó de jié gòu zhì guān zhòng yào.

Phospholipids are crucial to the structure of cell membranes.

通过化学分析，我们可以鉴定脂质的种类。

Tōng guò huà xué fēn xī, wǒ men kě yǐ jiàn dìng zhī zhì de zhǒng lèi.

Through chemical analysis, we can identify the types of lipids.

尽管脂类在饮食中必不可少，但需注意均衡摄入以避免心血管疾病。

Jǐn guǎn zhī lèi zài yǐn shí zhōng bì bù kě shǎo, dàn xū zhù yì jūn héng shè rù yǐ bì miǎn xīn xuè guǎn jí bìng.

Although lipids are essential in the diet, it is necessary to pay attention to balanced intake to avoid cardiovascular diseases.

Related Characters

Component: 旨

Component: 月

脂