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拉肚子 (lā dù zi) — to have diarrhea (colloquial)

Definition

Colloquial way to say 'have diarrhea' — everyday spoken, not for formal or medical writing. The verb 拉 can split from 肚子 with a measure word (拉了一次肚子).

verb
to have diarrhea (colloquial)

Examples

  • ，拉肚子。
    Nǐ rú guǒ chī tài duō là de, kě néng huì lā dù zi.
    If you eat too much spicy food, you might get diarrhea.
  • ，。
    Tā lā le yí cì dù zi, xiàn zài hǎo duō le.
    He had diarrhea once, and now he's much better.
  • ，拉肚子。
    Wǒ zuó tiān hē le hěn duō bīng shuǐ, jié guǒ lā dù zi le.
    I drank a lot of ice water yesterday, and as a result I got diarrhea.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

拉lāhave diarrhea
肚子belly
肚dùbelly子zǐsuffix
后缀Suffix

"拉" can refer to diarrhea, and "肚子" means belly, so the word pictures a belly problem.

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
手手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
立
立lì拉lā
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

拉 pairs 手 (hand) with 立, a component that supplies the sound.

Open 拉 →

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
⺼Written in full as肉ròu
Sound part声符shēngfú
土
土tǔ肚dù
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The left side ⺼ is 肉 (flesh), marking body parts like belly; the right side 土 gives the pronunciation.

Open 肚 →

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

子 is drawn as a baby with a large head, arms stretched out, and legs wrapped in a blanket.

Open 子 →
Appears in
Illness & Symptoms

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