About
The character "蛋" for "egg" is structurally composed of the "worm" radical (虫) at the bottom, historically relating to small creatures or insects, surmounted by the component 疋, which primarily serves a phonetic function in this compound. Its etymology connects to a now-obsolete traditional character, "蜑", which historically referred to certain southern aquatic peoples but also incorporated the insect radical, suggesting an early conceptual link between small creatures and eggs. Over time, the meaning of "蛋" narrowed and solidified specifically to denote the eggs of birds and reptiles, eventually becoming the standard term for this concept. The character’s semantic range also expanded metaphorically into colloquial language, forming words like "笨蛋" (fool), drawing an analogy between an egg and a simplistic or empty-headed person, while its core meaning remained firmly anchored to the physical object.
Example Sentences Hide
鸡蛋很有营养。
妈妈早餐做了煎鸡蛋。
蛋糕上插着生日蜡烛。
他小心地把蛋壳剥了下来。
科学家在实验室里研究蛋白质。
这个厨师最拿手的是苏格兰蛋。
他讲话时紧张得像个滚动的蛋。
鸟蛋的孵化过程需要恒定的温度。