About
Traditional form 鹽 is a phono-semantic compound for salt. It combines the semantic component 鹵 (lǔ), depicting rock salt or saline earth, with 皿 (mǐn, "vessel") at the bottom, suggesting salt extraction or containment. The upper right component 監 (jiān) provides the phonetic element. The character has always denoted salt, a vital mineral for consumption and preservation. The modern simplification 盐 replaces the complex structure with the semantic radical 土 (tǔ, "earth") at the bottom, hinting at salt's terrestrial origin, while the top part is streamlined. The meaning remains unchanged.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
汤里需要加点盐。
食盐是重要的调味品。
少吃盐对健康有好处。
这个湖的盐度非常高。
盐的主要成分是氯化钠。
古代盐业曾由国家专营。
这些盐渍土壤需要改良。
盐矿的开采历史非常悠久。