About
苯 is a phono-semantic compound: the grass radical 艹 at the top suggests a plant-related meaning, while 本 below gives the sound. In classical Chinese it named a specific type of lush, flourishing grass, but that sense later fell into obscurity. In modern times, the character was revived and entirely repurposed as a phonetic loan for the chemical compound benzene, the pronunciation happened to match well enough to serve scientific nomenclature, discarding the original botanical meaning.
Example Sentences Hide
苯有特殊的气味。
在实验室里使用苯。
苯是一种芳香烃化合物。
甲苯是苯的衍生物。
苯广泛用于化工生产。
苯对人体健康有害。
苯污染对环境造成危害。
苯在催化剂作用下发生反应。
Report an issue
Flag incorrect definitions, examples, etymology, etc.