排卵 (pái luǎn) — to ovulate | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Medical term for 'to ovulate' — the release of an egg from the ovary, usually discussed in fertility or menstrual-cycle contexts.

verb

to ovulate

Examples

排卵。
Tā měi gè yuè dōu huì pái luǎn.
She ovulates every month.
。
Tā zhè ge yuè yǐ jīng pái guò yí cì luǎn le.
She has already ovulated once this month.
排卵。
Yī shēng shuō tā pái luǎn zhèng cháng.
The doctor says her ovulation is normal.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

排卵 expels 排 the 卵, releasing an egg.

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.

扌非排

Meaning part形符xíngfú

扌Written in full as手shǒuhand

Sound part声符shēngfú

非

非fēi排pái

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

排 uses 扌 (hand) to show arranging something with the hand, and 非 for the sound; this gives the sense of placing things in a line.

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

卵 comes from a picture of eggs or spawn.

Appears in

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