一针 (yī zhēn) — a single injection, one shot (of medicine or vaccine)

Definition

Literally 'one needle/shot': the dose of medicine or vaccine given in a single injection. Used mainly as the object of 打 ('to give/get a shot').

noun
a single injectionone shot (of medicine or vaccine)

Examples

  • 一针。
    Yī shēng gěi tā dǎ le yī zhēn.
    The doctor gave him a shot.
  • 一针。
    Zhè zhǒng yì miáo xū yào dǎ yī zhēn jiù gòu le.
    One dose of this vaccine is enough.
  • ，。
    Tā gǎn mào le, qù zhěn suǒ dǎ le yī yī zhēn.
    He caught a cold and went to the clinic for a shot.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

一yīone
针zhēnneedle

One 针, a single needle, names one injection shot.

Characters in this word

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

一 is drawn as one horizontal stroke, marking the number one.

Open 一 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 針; 针 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
釒Written in full as金jīnmetal
Sound part声符shēngfú
十
十shí針zhēn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 針 puts 釒, the metal side, beside 十, which gives the sound; 针 is a simplified shorthand.

Open 针 →

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