TongTong
Sign in

支气管炎 (zhī qì guǎn yán) — bronchitis

Definition

noun
bronchitis

Examples

  • 支气管炎。
    Tā yīn wèi zhī qì guǎn yán ké sou le hǎo jǐ gè xīng qī.
    He coughed for several weeks because of bronchitis.
  • 支气管炎，。
    Yī shēng shuō wǒ dé le zhī qì guǎn yán, xū yào duō xiū xi.
    The doctor said I have bronchitis and need more rest.
  • 支气管炎。
    Dōng tiān shì zhī qì guǎn yán de gāo fā jì jié.
    Winter is the peak season for bronchitis.

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.

支气管bronchus
支zhībranch气qìair管guǎntube
偏正Modifier + head
炎yáninflammation

支 means branch, 气 means air, 管 means tube, and 炎 means inflammation, so the term names inflammation of a bronchial tube.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

支 pairs 又 (hand) with 十, a shortened form of 竹 (bamboo), to picture a bamboo branch.

Open 支 →

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 氣; 气 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
米米mǐrice
Sound part声符shēngfú
气
气qì氣qì
Same sound today

The traditional form 氣 pairs 米 (rice) with 气, which supplies the sound; the simplified 气 is a later abbreviation.

Open 气 →

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
竹竹zhúbamboo
Sound part声符shēngfú
官
官guān管guǎn
Same sound today

管 has 竹 (bamboo) on top to show it relates to bamboo, and 官 gives its sound.

Open 管 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

炎 places two 火 (fire) shapes vertically, one above the other, to show fire doubled.

Open 炎 →
Appears in
Illness & Symptoms

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.