会阴 (huì yīn) — perineum

Definition

noun
perineum

Examples

  • 会阴。
    Yī shēng jiǎn chá le bìng rén de huì yīn.
    The doctor examined the patient's perineum.
  • 会阴。
    huì yīn Shì rén tǐ de yí bù fen.
    The perineum is a part of the human body.
  • 。
    Shēng hái zi de shí hou kě néng huì shāng dào huì yīn.
    When giving birth, the perineum may be injured.

Origin

Characters in this word

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 會; 会 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
合合héto meet
Sound part声符shēngfú
𡆧
𡆧𡆧會huì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

Traditional 會 pairs 合 (to meet) with 𡆧, an original form for ironware, to give the sound. The simplified 会 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the original parts.

Open 会 →

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 陰; 阴 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
阜阜fù
Sound part声符shēngfú
侌
侌yīn陰yīn
Same sound today

The traditional form 陰 combines 阜, the meaning part, with 侌, the sound part. The simplified 阴 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the historical pieces.

Open 阴 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.