抑郁症 (yì yù zhèng) — clinical depression

Definition

A mood disorder marked by persistent sadness, loss of interest, and low energy. 精神病 is broader, covering psychosis (e.g. schizophrenia), not just depression.

noun

clinical depression

Examples

抑郁症。
Tā zuì jìn bèi zhěn duàn chū yì yù zhèng.
He was recently diagnosed with depression.
抑郁症。
yì yù zhèng Shì yì zhǒng cháng jiàn de xīn lǐ jí bìng.
Depression is a common mental illness.
，抑郁症。
Tā tōng guò yào wù zhì liáo hé xīn lǐ zī xún, màn màn cóng yì yù zhèng zhōng huī fù guò lái.
She gradually recovered from depression through medication and psychological counseling.

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.

抑郁depression

抑yìrepress郁yùmelancholy

联合Coordinate

症zhèngdisease

抑郁 names a low-mood state, and 症 marks a disease of that kind.

Characters in this word

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

抑 shows a hand pressing down on a kneeling person, giving the sense of press or restrain.

Open 抑 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 鬱; 郁 is its simplified writing.

林林línforest
大大dàstanding person
勹勹bāoleaning person

The traditional form 鬱 shows 林 (forest), 大 (standing person), and 勹 (leaning person), with people hiding in a lush forest; the simplified 郁 is a later abbreviation.

Open 郁 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

疒正症

Meaning part形符xíngfú

疒疒nèdisease

Sound part声符shēngfú

正

正zhèng症zhèng

Same sound today

The left part 疒 shows it is about disease. The right part 正 is used for the sound.

Open 症 →

Appears in