抽动 (chōu dòng) — (noun) twitch, spasm, involuntary jerk; (verb)…

Definition

noun

twitchspasminvoluntary jerk

verb

to twitchto spasmto jerk involuntarily

抽动，。
Tā zuǒ yǎn yǒu chōu dòng, kě néng shì pí láo yǐn qǐ de.
He has a twitch in his left eye; it might be caused by fatigue.
，抽动。
Tā tīng dào xiāo xi shí, liǎn shàng chōu dòng le yí xià.
His face twitched when he heard the news.
抽动。
Bìng rén de tuǐ bù jī ròu bù yóu zì zhǔ dì chōu dòng qǐ lái.
The leg muscles of the patient began to twitch involuntarily.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

抽 (jerk) and 动 (move) combine to describe a sudden involuntary twitch.

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.

扌由抽

Meaning part形符xíngfú

扌Written in full as手shǒuhand

Sound part声符shēngfú

由

由yóu抽chōu

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

The left part 扌 is the hand form, written in full as 手, and the right part 由 provides the sound.

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 動; 动 is its simplified writing.

重力動

Meaning part形符xíngfú

力力lìstrength

Sound part声符shēngfú

重

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 動 uses 力 (strength) and 重 as a sound part; 重 refers to a heavy bag ready to be moved by a human. This note is about 動, not 动.

Appears in