化脓 (huà nóng) — (of a wound or infection) to fester, to suppurate, to become infected

Definition

化脓 (huànóng) describes a wound or infection producing pus — the result of 感染 (infection), not the infection itself. Used as a verb or adjective (化脓的伤口 'a festering wound').

verb
(of a wound or infection) to festerto suppurateto become infected

Examples

  • 化脓，。
    Shāng kǒu yǐ jīng kāi shǐ huà nóng le, dé gǎn jǐn chǔ lǐ.
    The wound has already started to fester — you need to treat it quickly.
  • ，。
    Tā de shāng kǒu huà guò yí cì nóng, zhī hòu jiù hǎo le.
    His wound festered once, and then it got better.
  • 化脓。
    Yī shēng shuō bù xiǎo xīn jiù huì gǎn rǎn huà nóng.
    The doctor said that if you're not careful, the infection will fester.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

化huàchange into
脓nóngpus

化 (change into) and 脓 (pus) describe a wound turning into pus.

Characters in this word

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 →

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 膿; 脓 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
肉肉ròumeat
Sound part声符shēngfú
農
農nóng膿nóng
Same sound today

The traditional form 膿 pairs 肉 (meat) with 農 (nóng) as a sound part. This note describes 膿, not 脓.

Open 脓 →

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