酶 meaning and stroke order
Enzyme; to ferment
How to write 酶, stroke by stroke
14 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 酶
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- enzyme
- ferment
How 酶 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Chemical.
酉 gives the meaning and 每 hints at the sound.
Radical: 酉 (wine), shared by 67 characters on this site.
How to remember 酶
On the left is 酉, a wine jar that marks things related to fermenting and chemistry, and on the right is 每 (měi), which gives the sound. Picture a wine jar where every (每) drop is busy fermenting thanks to enzymes.
酶 (méi) is mainly a science word meaning enzyme, and it shows up in biology, medicine, and food labels. It often combines with other words to name specific enzymes. Example: 唾液里有消化酶。(Tuòyè lǐ yǒu xiāohuà méi.) Saliva contains digestive enzymes.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 酶 (méi) with 霉 (méi, mold), which sounds the same but has the rain radical 雨 on top instead of 酉 on the left. Also keep the second tone. Do not read it as third tone měi just because 每 is the phonetic part.
Questions about 酶
How many strokes are in 酶?
酶 is written with 14 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 酶 mean?
酶 (méi) means enzyme; to ferment.
How do you pronounce 酶?
酶 is pronounced méi, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 酶?
The radical of 酶 is 酉, which carries the idea of "wine". Dictionaries list 酶 under this radical.
How do you say enzyme names in Chinese with 酶?
Chinese usually puts 酶 at the end of the name, the way English uses the ending -ase. For example, 淀粉酶 (diànfěnméi) is amylase and 蛋白酶 (dànbáiméi) is protease.
Is 酶 used in everyday conversation?
Not very often. Most people say it when talking about health products, laundry detergents with enzymes (加酶洗衣粉, jiā méi xǐyīfěn), or school biology. In casual speech, 酵素 (jiàosù) is also common for enzyme drinks and supplements.