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体温 (tǐ wēn) — body temperature

Definition

Body temperature — the temperature of a person or animal, measured with a thermometer. Unlike 温度 (general temperature) or 气温 (air temperature), 体温 specifically refers to a living body's heat.

noun
body temperature

Examples

  • 体温。
    Wǒ měi tiān qǐ chuáng hòu dōu liáng tǐ wēn.
    I take my temperature every day after getting up.
  • 体温，。
    Yī shēng gěi wǒ liáng le tǐ wēn, shuō hěn zhèng cháng.
    The doctor took my temperature and said it's very normal.
  • 体温，。
    Rú guǒ tǐ wēn chāo guò sān shí qī dù, jiù shì fā shāo le.
    If your body temperature exceeds 37 degrees, you have a fever.

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.

体tǐbody
温wēntemperature

体 as body and 温 as warmth or temperature combine to mean body temperature.

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 體; 体 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
骨骨gǔbone
Sound part声符shēngfú
豊
豊lǐ體tǐ
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 體 pairs 骨 (bone) with 豊 as a sound part; this note is about 體, not about the parts of 体.

Open 体 →

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 溫; 温 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 溫 is based on an older form 𥁕, which drew a person bathing in a container full of warm water. The simplified 温 is a later variant.

Open 温 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 4Illness & Symptoms

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