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剖腹产 (pōu fù chǎn) — Caesarean section, C-section

Definition

Surgical delivery of a baby through an incision in the abdomen, used when vaginal birth (顺产) is risky. A medical/clinical term, not a euphemism.

noun
Caesarean sectionC-section

Examples

  • ，剖腹产。
    Tā yīn wèi tāi wèi bú zhèng, zuì hòu xuǎn zé le pōu fù chǎn.
    She chose a C-section because the baby was in a breech position.
  • 剖腹产。
    pōu fù chǎn De huī fù shí jiān bǐ shùn chǎn yào cháng yì xiē.
    Recovery time for a C-section is longer than for a vaginal birth.
  • 剖腹产，。
    Yī shēng jiàn yì tā zuò pōu fù chǎn, yīn wèi hái zi tài dà le.
    The doctor recommended a C-section because the baby was too big.

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.

剖腹cut open the abdomen
剖pōucut open腹fùabdomen
动宾Verb + object
产chǎnbirth

“剖腹” (cut open the abdomen) describes the kind of “产” (birth) meant.

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
刂Written in full as刀dāoknife
Sound part声符shēngfú
咅
咅pǒu剖pōu
Same sound today

剖 pairs 刂, a knife, with 咅 for sound, to write cutting something in two.

Open 剖 →

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
肉肉ròumeat; flesh
Sound part声符shēngfú
复
复fù腹⁰fù
Same sound today

The left part 肉, meaning flesh, shows this is a body part, and the right part 复 gives the sound.

Open 腹 →

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 產; 产 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
生生shēngto be born
Sound part声符shēngfú
彥
彥yàn產chǎn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 產 pairs 生, "to be born," with 彥 as a sound part; the simplified 产 is a shorthand.

Open 产 →
Appears in
Medicine & Treatment

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