指骨 (zhǐ gǔ) — phalanx (finger bone) | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

phalanx (finger bone)

Measure word · 块

Examples

指骨。
Měi gè shǒu zhǐ dōu yǒu sān gēn zhǐ gǔ.
Each finger has three phalanges.
指骨。
Yī shēng shuō wǒ yòu shǒu de zhǐ gǔ gǔ zhé le.
The doctor said the phalanx of my right hand is fractured.
X指骨。
X guāng piàn shàng kě yǐ qīng chǔ dì kàn dào zhǐ gǔ.
The phalanx can be clearly seen on the X-ray.

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.

指 specifies finger, and 骨 means bone, together forming the idea of a finger bone.

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.

扌旨指

Meaning part形符xíngfú

扌Written in full as手shǒu

Sound part声符shēngfú

旨

旨zhǐ指zhǐ

Same sound today

The left part 扌 is the hand form 手. The right part 旨 gives the sound.

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

Sound part声符shēngfú

冎

冎guǎ骨gǔ

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

The older form 冎 drew a bone; 肉, flesh, was added to make 骨.

Appears in

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