丹参 (dān shēn) — Chinese sage (Salvia miltiorrhiza), a medicinal herb used in traditional Chinese medicine

Definition

丹参 (dān shēn) is the root of Chinese sage (Salvia miltiorrhiza), a staple herb in traditional Chinese medicine, often used for heart and blood-related conditions.

noun
Chinese sage (Salvia miltiorrhiza), a medicinal herb used in traditional Chinese medicine
Measure word · 味
Easily confused

Examples

  • 丹参。
    Yī shēng jiàn yì tā hē yì xiē dān shēn chá.
    The doctor recommended he drink some danshen tea.
  • 丹参。
    Zhè zhǒng dān shēn duì xīn zàng yǒu hǎo chù.
    This kind of danshen is good for the heart.
  • 丹参。
    Zhōng yào diàn lǐ yǒu mài gān dān shēn.
    The traditional Chinese medicine shop sells dried danshen.

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.

丹dānred
参cānginseng

The 丹 points to red, while 参 names the medicinal herb.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape 丹 shows a well or mine with red cinnabar inside.

Open 丹 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 參; 参 is its simplified writing.

For simplified 参, the story belongs to traditional 參, which combines 晶 (stars), 光 (light), and 彡 (rays) to show the Three Stars; one reading takes 光 as a kneeling person looking up.

Open 参 →

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