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外伤 (wài shāng) — external injury, wound, trauma (medical term)

Definition

A medical term for an injury or wound on the outside of the body, contrasted with 内伤 (internal injury). Refers to physical damage to skin, muscles, or bones from accidents or trauma.

noun
external injurywoundtrauma (medical term)
Measure word · 处

Examples

  • 外伤。
    Tā zhè cì shì gù zào chéng le yán zhòng de wài shāng.
    He sustained serious external injuries from this accident.
  • 外伤，。
    Yī shēng jiǎn chá hòu shuō zhǐ yǒu wài shāng, méi yǒu nèi shāng.
    After the examination, the doctor said there were only external wounds, no internal injuries.
  • 外伤。
    Zhè zhǒng xiāo dú yào shuǐ zhǐ néng chǔ lǐ qīng wēi de wài shāng.
    This kind of antiseptic solution can only treat minor external wounds.

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.

外wàioutside
伤shānginjury

The 伤 injury is located 外 outside, hence an external wound.

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
卜卜bǔ
Sound part声符shēngfú
月
月yuè外wài
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

外 pairs 卜 with 月, a crescent moon; in its older form, the 卜 part had a horizontal bar extending outward, giving the sense of outside.

Open 外 →

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 傷; 伤 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
人人rén
Sound part声符shēngfú
𥏻
𥏻𥏻傷shāng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 傷 shows 人, a person, and uses 𥏻 to give the sound; the simplified 伤 is a later shorthand.

Open 伤 →
Appears in
Injury & Disability

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