排泄物 (pái xiè wù) — excrement; bodily waste matter (from humans or animals)

Definition

noun
excrementbodily waste matter (from humans or animals)

Examples

  • 排泄物
    Yī shēng zhèng zài fēn xī bìng rén de pái xiè wù.
    The doctor is analyzing the patient's excrement.
  • 排泄物
    Nóng cūn cháng yòng dòng wù pái xiè wù zuò wéi tiān rán féi liào.
    Rural areas often use animal excrement as natural fertilizer.
  • 排泄物
    Zhè tiáo hé bèi gōng chǎng pái fàng de pái xiè wù wū rǎn le.
    This river has been polluted by factory-discharged waste.

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.

排泄discharge
páidischargexièdrain
联合Coordinate
thing

排泄 means discharge and 物 means thing, so the word names discharged waste matter.

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
Written in full asshǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
fēipái
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.

Open 排 →

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 洩; 泄 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
Written in full asshuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
xiè
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In the traditional form 洩, 氵 marks the water-related meaning, while 曳 gives the sound; the simplified 泄 is a later abbreviation.

Open 泄 →

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
Same sound today

物 puts 牛 beside 勿: 牛 gives the meaning, and 勿 gives the sound.

Open 物 →

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