危险期 (wēi xiǎn jī) — dangerous period; period of danger; (medicine) critical period (e.g. in illness); (colloquial) fertile period (of menstrual cycle)

Definition

Literally 'dangerous period' — a stretch of time when risk is highest, used in medicine (critical phase of an illness) and in everyday speech for a woman's fertile window around ovulation.

noun
dangerous periodperiod of danger(medicine) critical period (e.g. in illness)(colloquial) fertile period (of menstrual cycle)

Examples

  • 危险期，。
    Xiàn zài yì qíng yǐ jīng guò le zuì yán zhòng de wēi xiǎn jī, dà jiā yào xiǎo xīn fǎn tán.
    Now the epidemic has passed its most dangerous period, but everyone should be careful of a rebound.
  • 危险期，。
    Yī shēng shuō tā xiàn zài hái zài wēi xiǎn jī, xū yào zhù zài zhòng zhèng jiān hù shì.
    The doctor said he is still in the critical period and needs to stay in the ICU.
  • 危险期。
    Nǚ xìng zài wēi xiǎn jī tóng fáng huái yùn de jī lǜ huì bǐ jiào gāo.
    Having sex during a woman's fertile period increases the chances of pregnancy.

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.

危险dangerous
危wēidanger险xiǎnperil
联合Side by side
期qīperiod

In 危险期, 危险 gives dangerous and 期 gives period, naming a dangerous or critical period.

Characters in this word

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

  • 厃厃wěiperson on a cliff or mountain
  • 卩卩jiékneeling person

危 is built from 厃, showing a person on a cliff or mountain, and 卩, showing a kneeling person.

Open 危 →

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 險; 险 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
阝Written in full as阜fù
Sound part声符shēngfú
僉
僉qiān險
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 險 pairs 阝, written in full as 阜, with 僉, which gives the sound; the simplified 险 is a shorthand.

Open 险 →

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
日日rì
Sound part声符shēngfú
其
其qí期qī
Same sound today

The original form paired 其 for its sound with 日 (sun). A related form changed that sun to 月, and this later developed into 期.

Open 期 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.