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扁桃体 (biǎn táo tǐ) — tonsil

Definition

noun
tonsil

Examples

  • 扁桃体。
    Yī shēng shuō wǒ xū yào qiē chú biǎn táo tǐ.
    The doctor said I need to have my tonsils removed.
  • 扁桃体，。
    Tā de biǎn táo tǐ fā yán le, hěn téng.
    His tonsils are inflamed and very painful.
  • 扁桃体。
    Hái zi yīn wèi biǎn táo tǐ zhǒng dà zhù yuàn le.
    The child was hospitalized due to enlarged tonsils.

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.

扁桃almond
扁biǎnflat桃táopeach
偏正Modifier + head
体tǐbody

扁 (flat) and 桃 (peach) give the almond-like shape, while 体 (body) names the organ.

Characters in this word

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

  • 戶戶hùdoor
  • 冊冊cèbamboo tablets

扁 is made from 戶 (door) and 冊 (bamboo tablets), giving the idea of inscribing on a door or of two flat, thin things.

Open 扁 →

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
木木mùtree
Sound part声符shēngfú
兆
兆zhào桃táo(r)
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

桃 combines 木, meaning tree, with 兆, which gives the sound.

Open 桃 →

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 體; 体 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
骨骨gǔbone
Sound part声符shēngfú
豊
豊lǐ體tǐ
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 體 pairs 骨 (bone) with 豊 as a sound part; this note is about 體, not about the parts of 体.

Open 体 →
Appears in
Organs & Anatomy

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