Meaning
成分 refers to the parts or elements that make up a whole. It's commonly used to describe ingredients in food or medicine, chemical components, or constituent parts of any complex thing. The word combines 成 (to become/complete) and 分 (part/portion).
Usage
This is a formal, standard term used across many contexts—from nutrition labels to chemistry to social analysis. You'll see it on product packaging listing ingredients, in scientific discussions about composition, and in sociological contexts referring to someone's background or class status (though this last usage is now less common).
Examples
- 01这种药的主要成分是什么？?What are the main ingredients in this medicine?
- 02食品包装上必须标明营养成分。.Food packaging must clearly label the nutritional components.
Characters
Measure words
- 种三种成分
- 个每个成分
Common collocations
- 化学成分chemical composition
- 营养成分nutritional components
- 主要成分main ingredient/component
- 成分表ingredient list
Antonyms
Origin
The combination literally means 'completed parts' or 'parts that make up (something whole)', reflecting the idea that multiple components together form a complete entity.