夜盲症 (yè máng zhèng) — night blindness, a condition where a person cannot see well in dim light

Definition

noun
night blindness, a condition where a person cannot see well in dim light

Examples

  • 夜盲症，。
    Tā dé le yè máng zhèng, wǎn shàng jī hū kàn bú jiàn dōng xī.
    He has night blindness and can barely see anything at night.
  • A夜盲症。
    Quē fá wéi shēng sù A shì yǐn qǐ yè máng zhèng de zhǔ yào yuán yīn.
    Lack of vitamin A is the main cause of night blindness.
  • 夜盲症。
    yè máng zhèng Huàn zhě yīng gāi bì miǎn zài yè jiān kāi chē.
    Patients with night blindness should avoid driving at night.

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.

夜盲night-blind
夜yènight盲mángblind
偏正Modifier + head
症zhèngdisease

夜盲 gives night-blind, and 症 gives disease, describing the condition.

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
夕夕xīmoon
Sound part声符shēngfú
亦
亦yì夜yè
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The form 夜 pairs 亦 as a sound part with 夕 as a moon part, for night. In the modern shape, the 亦 part is broken up and one stroke merges into 夕.

Open 夜 →

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
目目mùeye
Sound part声符shēngfú
亡
亡wáng盲máng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

盲 is made from 目, meaning “eye”, plus 亡, which gives the sound. The eye part relates to the meaning of blindness.

Open 盲 →

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
正
正zhèng症zhèng
Same sound today

The left part 疒 shows it is about disease. The right part 正 is used for the sound.

Open 症 →

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