强心针 (qiáng xīn zhēn) — cardiotonic injection; cardiac stimulant

Definition

noun

cardiotonic injectioncardiac stimulant

Measure word · 支

强心针。
Yī shēng gěi bìng rén dǎ le yì qiáng xīn zhēn.
The doctor gave the patient a cardiotonic injection.
强心针。
Zhè zhǒng qiáng xīn zhēn kě yǐ kuài sù huī fù xīn tiào.
This type of cardiotonic can quickly restore heartbeat.
强心针。
Tā xū yào yì zhī qiáng xīn zhēn lái wéi chí shēng mìng.
He needs a cardiac stimulant to sustain life.

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.

强心heart-strengthening

动宾Verb + object

针zhēninjection

强心针: 强 (strengthen) and 心 (heart) form 强心 (heart-strengthening), a kind of 针 (injection).

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 強; 强 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 強 pairs an insect component with a sound component; this explains 強, not the simplified 强.

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 心 comes from a drawing of a heart, now highly stylized.

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 針; 针 is its simplified writing.

釒十針

Meaning part形符xíngfú

釒Written in full as金jīnmetal

Sound part声符shēngfú

十

十shí針zhēn

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

The traditional form 針 puts 釒, the metal side, beside 十, which gives the sound; 针 is a simplified shorthand.