About
The character 消 is a phono-semantic compound with the water radical 氵 on the left, providing its core semantic link to liquids. The right side, 肖, primarily indicates pronunciation. Its original meaning referred to the melting of ice or snow into water. From this concrete process of a solid dissolving away, the sense expanded to encompass broader ideas of disappearance, elimination, consumption, and gradual reduction, applying to abstract things like news, energy, or negative conditions beyond just a watery context.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
这个消息很好。
我们需要消毒。
他喜欢消遣时间。
消费水平提高了。
消极情绪不好。
这场雨消除了干旱。
政府采取了措施来消除贫困。
科学家正在研究如何消融冰川。