TongTong
Sign in

催眠术 (cuī mián shù) — hypnotism, hypnotherapy

Definition

noun
hypnotismhypnotherapy

Examples

  • 催眠术，。
    Tā zhèng zài xué xí cuī mián shù, xiǎng chéng wéi yì míng xīn lǐ zhì liáo shī.
    He is studying hypnotism and wants to become a psychotherapist.
  • 催眠术。
    Yī shēng yòng cuī mián shù bāng zhù bìng rén huǎn jiě jiāo lǜ.
    The doctor uses hypnotherapy to help patients relieve anxiety.
  • 催眠术，。
    Nà wèi biǎo yǎn zhě de cuī mián shù fēi cháng jīng cǎi, guān zhòng dōu kàn dāi le.
    That performer's hypnotism was so brilliant that the audience was mesmerized.

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.

催眠induce sleep
催cuīinduce眠miánsleep
动宾Verb + object
术shùtechnique

催眠 suggests inducing sleep, while 术 names the practiced technique.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
亻Written in full as人rénperson
Sound part声符shēngfú
崔
崔cuī催cuī
Same sound today

催 combines 亻, the person part, with 崔, which gives the sound.

Open 催 →

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
目目mùeye
Sound part声符shēngfú
民
民mín眠mián
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

眠 uses 目 (eye) to show the idea of closing the eyes, with 民 giving the sound.

Open 眠 →

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 術; 术 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
行行xíngstreet, path
Sound part声符shēngfú
朮
朮zhú術shù
Same sound today

The traditional form 術 has 行 (street, path) beside 朮, which gives the sound; the simplified 术 is a later shorthand.

Open 术 →
Appears in
Medicine & Treatment

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