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动脉 (dòng mài) — artery (blood vessel); (figurative) main thoroughfare, arterial road

Definition

动脉 is an artery — a blood vessel that carries blood away from the heart. It is a specific kind of 血管 (blood vessel, which includes veins and arteries).

noun
artery (blood vessel)(figurative) main thoroughfarearterial road
Measure word · 条

Examples

  • 动脉。
    Zhè tiáo dòng mài wèi xīn zàng tí gōng xuè yè.
    This artery supplies blood to the heart.
  • 动脉。
    Chōu yān huì sǔn hài dòng mài jiàn kāng.
    Smoking damages the health of the arteries.
  • 动脉。
    Zhè tiáo gōng lù shì chéng shì de jiāo tōng dòng mài.
    This highway is the city's traffic artery.

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dòngpulsating
脉màivessel

动 (pulsating) and 脉 (vessel) name the blood vessel that carries pulsing flow.

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 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6Organs & Anatomy

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