常见病 (cháng jiàn bìng) — common disease; common ailment

Definition

noun
common diseasecommon ailment
Measure word · 种

Examples

  • 常见病。
    Zhè zhǒng cháng jiàn bìng hěn róng yì zhì liáo.
    This common disease is very easy to treat.
  • 常见病。
    Gǎn mào shì yì zhǒng cháng jiàn bìng.
    The common cold is a common illness.
  • 常见病。
    Yī shēng duì cháng jiàn bìng hěn yǒu jīng yàn.
    Doctors are very experienced with common diseases.

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.

常见commonly seen
常chángoften见jiànseen
偏正Modifier + head
病bìngdisease

常 means often and 见 means seen; 常见 describes something frequently seen, and 病 means disease.

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
巾巾jīncloth
Sound part声符shēngfú
尚
尚shàng常cháng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

常 pairs 巾, a cloth, with 尚 as a sound part; the form originally referred to a lower garment.

Open 常 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 見; 见 is its simplified writing.

  • 目目mùeye
  • 卩卩jiékneeling person

The traditional form 見 pairs 目 (eye) with 卩 (kneeling person), showing a kneeling figure with a large eye for a head. The simplified 见 is a later shorthand.

Open 见 →

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nèsickness
Sound part声符shēngfú
丙
丙bǐng病bìng
Same sound today

病 pairs 疒, a sickness mark, with 丙, which gives the sound; 丙 also means fire, giving a picture of lying feverishly in bed.

Open 病 →

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