喉癌 (hóu ái) — laryngeal cancer

Definition

noun
laryngeal cancer

Examples

  • 喉癌，。
    Yī shēng shuō tā dé le hóu ái, xū yào mǎ shàng zhì liáo.
    The doctor said he has laryngeal cancer and needs immediate treatment.
  • 喉癌。
    Xī yān shì dǎo zhì hóu ái de zhǔ yào yuán yīn zhī yī.
    Smoking is one of the main causes of laryngeal cancer.
  • 喉癌。
    Zǎo qī fā xiàn hóu ái kě yǐ tí gāo zhì yù lǜ.
    Early detection of laryngeal cancer can improve the cure rate.

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.

喉hóuthroat
癌áicancer

喉癌 names 癌 located in the 喉, laryngeal cancer.

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
口口kǒumouth
Sound part声符shēngfú
侯
侯hóu喉hóu
Same sound today

喉 combines 口, a mouth, with 侯, which gives its sound.

Open 喉 →

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
疒疒nèdisease
Sound part声符shēngfú
嵒
嵒yán癌
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

癌 combines 疒 (disease) with 嵒, a component used for its sound.

Open 癌 →

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