娘胎 (niáng tāi) — mother's womb | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Literal 'mother's womb,' also used figuratively for traits a person is born with ('from the womb'). Almost always appears in set phrases like 从娘胎里出来/带出来.

noun

mother's womb

Examples

娘胎。
Měi gè rén dōu shì cóng niáng tāi lǐ shēng chū lái de.
Every person is born from their mother's womb.
娘胎。
Tā nà zhǒng lè guān shì cóng niáng tāi lǐ dài chū lái de.
That kind of optimism of his is inborn from the womb.
娘胎。
Xiàn dài jì shù kě yǐ jiǎn chá niáng tāi lǐ tāi ér de jiàn kāng.
Modern technology can check the health of the fetus in the womb.

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.

娘niángmother

娘 means mother and 胎 means womb, together giving mother's womb.

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.

女良娘

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

良

良liáng娘niáng

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

娘 is built from 女 (woman) and 良, which supplies the sound.

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

⺼Written in full as肉ròu

Sound part声符shēngfú

台

台tái胎tāi

Same sound today

胎 is formed from ⺼ (written in full as 肉) and 台, which gives the sound.

Appears in

Organs & Anatomy

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