硼砂
The English word "borax" is translated into Chinese as 硼砂.
硼砂 is the term for the crystalline salt known as borax.
Meaning: crystalline salt (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The term 硼砂 is composed of 硼 (péng), meaning boron and 砂 (shā), meaning sand or grit.
Did you know?
- In traditional Chinese cooking, 硼砂 was once used as a preservative for certain foods like 'fish balls' and 'duck blood' to give them a springier texture. Today, this practice is strictly banned by food safety laws in China.
- In the context of ceramics, 硼砂 is used as a flux to lower the melting point of glazes, a technique central to some traditional Chinese pottery styles.
- The term 硼砂 is used identically in both Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese, making it a rare point of orthographic consistency across different regions.
Examples in context
- 你知道哪里可以买到硼砂吗?Do you know where I can buy some borax?
- 这种实验需要用到硼砂。Zhè zhǒng shíyàn xūyào yòng dào péngshā.This experiment requires the use of borax.
- 他在试管里放了一点硼砂。Tā zài shìguǎn lǐ fàngle yīdiǎn péngshā.He put a little borax in the test tube.
- 硼砂是一种白色结晶盐。Péngshā shì yī zhǒng báisè jiéjīng yán.Borax is a type of white crystalline salt.
Example conversation
A chemistry student asks a lab assistant for materials.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen请问，这里有硼砂吗？Qǐngwèn, zhèlǐ yǒu péngshā ma?Excuse me, is there any borax here?
- 浩然 Haoran有的，就在那个柜子里。Yǒu de, jiù zài nàge guìzi lǐ.Yes, it is right in that cabinet.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen谢谢你，浩然。Xièxiè nǐ, Hàorán.Thank you, Haoran.
- 浩然 Haoran不客气，晓雯。Bù kèqì, Xiǎowén.You're welcome, Xiaowen.
