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安眠药 (ān mián yào) — sleeping pill, sleeping tablet

Definition

noun
sleeping pillsleeping tablet
Measure word · 粒

Examples

  • 安眠药。
    Yī shēng jiàn yì tā měi wǎn fú yòng yì ān mián yào.
    The doctor recommended one sleeping pill every night.
  • 安眠药。
    Zhè zhǒng ān mián yào de fù zuò yòng bǐ jiào dà.
    This kind of sleeping pill has fairly strong side effects.
  • 安眠药。
    Tā kào ān mián yào cái néng shuì zháo.
    He can only fall asleep with sleeping pills.

Origin

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
宀宀mián
Sound part声符shēngfú
女
女nǚ安ān
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 安, 宀 sits above a seated 女 on a cushion; 宀 is the meaning part, 女 is the sound part, and the character originally meant sitting at ease.

Open 安 →

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
民
民mín眠mián
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

眠 uses 目 (eye) to show the idea of closing the eyes, with 民 giving the sound.

Open 眠 →

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 藥; 药 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
艹Written in full as艸cǎograss
Sound part声符shēngfú
樂
樂lè藥yào
Same sound today

In the traditional form 藥, 艹 shows grass and 樂 gives the sound; this story is about 藥, not about the simplified 药.

Open 药 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Medicine & Treatment

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