动脉硬化 (dòng mài yìng huà) — arteriosclerosis

Definition

noun
arteriosclerosis

Examples

  • 动脉硬化。
    Tā yīn wèi yán zhòng de dòng mài yìng huà zhù jìn le yī yuàn.
    He was hospitalized because of severe arteriosclerosis.
  • 动脉硬化。
    Yù fáng dòng mài yìng huà xū yào zhù yì yǐn shí hé duàn liàn.
    Preventing arteriosclerosis requires attention to diet and exercise.
  • 动脉硬化。
    Yī shēng shuō tā dé dòng mài yìng huà yǐ jīng hěn duō nián le.
    The doctor said he has had arteriosclerosis for many years.

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.

动脉artery
动dòngmoving脉màivessel
偏正Modifier + head
硬化hardening
硬yìnghard化huàbecome
后缀Suffix

动脉 names an artery and 硬化 names hardening, together describing hardening of the arteries.

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 動; 动 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
力力lìstrength
Sound part声符shēngfú
重
重zhòng動dòng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 動 uses 力 (strength) and 重 as a sound part; 重 refers to a heavy bag ready to be moved by a human. This note is about 動, not 动.

Open 动 →

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 脈; 脉 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
⺼Written in full as肉ròuflesh
Sound part声符shēngfú
𠂢
𠂢𠂢脈mài
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 脈 pairs ⺼ (flesh) with a sound part, 𠂢; the simplified 脉 is a shorthand, so its right side is not the historical sound part.

Open 脉 →

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
石石shí
Sound part声符shēngfú
更
更gèng硬yìng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

硬 is built from 石, meaning stone, to show hardness or stiffness, and 更, which gives the sound.

Open 硬 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

化 shows two person figures, one upright and one upside down, to give the idea of reversal or change.

Open 化 →

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