创痕 (chuāng hén) — scar (physical or emotional) | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Literary word for a scar, used for both physical wounds and figurative emotional or psychological wounds (e.g. of war, trauma). More formal and written than everyday 伤疤.

noun

scar (physical or emotional)

Measure word · 道

Examples

创痕。
Zhàn zhēng liú xià de chuāng hén zhì jīn réng rán qīng xī kě jiàn.
The scars left by the war are still clearly visible today.
创痕，。
Tā de liǎn shàng yǒu yí dào chuāng hén, shì xiǎo shí hou shuāi de.
There is a scar on his face from a fall when he was a child.
创痕。
Shí jiān kě yǐ fǔ píng xīn líng de chuāng hén.
Time can heal the scars of the heart.

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.

创chuàngwound

创痕 is a 痕 left by a 创, meaning a scar.

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 創; 创 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

刀刀dāoknife

Sound part声符shēngfú

倉

倉cāng創chuàng

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 創 pairs 倉 with 刀 (knife) to write 'wound', and 倉 gives the pronunciation. The simplified 创 is a later shorthand.

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

疒艮痕

Meaning part形符xíngfú

疒疒nè

Sound part声符shēngfú

艮

艮gèn痕hén

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

痕 pairs 疒 with 艮: 疒 gives the sense, and 艮 gives the sound.

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