异状 (yì zhuàng) — strange state, unusual condition

Definition

An abnormal or unusual condition — usually physical, social, or psychological, something that deviates from the norm and warrants attention.

noun

strange stateunusual condition

异状。
Yī shēng fā xiàn bìng rén de shēn tǐ chū xiàn le yì zhuàng.
The doctor found that the patient's body had developed an unusual condition.
异状，。
Zhè piàn sēn lín lǐ yǒu xǔ duō yì zhuàng, ràng rén gǎn dào bù ān.
There are many strange phenomena in this forest, making people feel uneasy.
异状，。
Shè huì chū xiàn zhè zhǒng yì zhuàng, zhí dé wǒ men shēn sī.
The emergence of such an unusual situation in society is worth our deep reflection.

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.

异yìstrange

“异” means strange or different and “状” means appearance or state, giving an unusual condition.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 異; 异 is its simplified writing.

田共異

The traditional form 異 depicts a person with a mask 田 over the face, so the face looks different. The simplified 异 is a later shorthand.

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 狀; 状 is its simplified writing.

爿犬狀

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

爿

爿pán狀zhuàng

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

The traditional form 狀 pairs 犬 (dog) with 爿 as a sound component; the simplified 状 is a shorthand, not the historical shape.