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性激素 (xìng jī sù) — sex hormone

Definition

noun
sex hormone

Examples

  • 性激素。
    Yī shēng jiǎn chá le tā de xìng jī sù shuǐ píng.
    The doctor checked her sex hormone levels.
  • 性激素。
    xìng jī sù Duì rén tǐ de fā yù fēi cháng zhòng yào.
    Sex hormones are very important for human development.
  • 性激素。
    Zhè zhǒng yào wù kě yǐ tiáo jié tǐ nèi de xìng jī sù.
    This medication can regulate the sex hormones in the body.

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.

性xìngsex
激素hormone
激jīstimulate素sùelement
偏正Modifier + head

性 sex specifies 激素, literally stimulating element, as a sex-related hormone.

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
忄Written in full as心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
生
生shēng性xìng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

性 is built from 忄 (the heart) and 生 (a sound clue). The heart part connects the word to a person's inner nature or quality.

Open 性 →

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
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
敫
敫jiǎo激jī
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 激, the 氵 side marks water, and 敫 gives the sound jiǎo; the original sense is water swashing.

Open 激 →

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

The shape of 素 came from a picture of hands braiding thread.

Open 素 →
Appears in
Biology

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