服用 (fú yòng) — to take (medicine) | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

服用 (fúyòng) is the formal word for 'to take medicine'. Unlike the general 食用 (for food), 服用 is used specifically for medicine or health products.

verb

to take (medicine)

Examples

服用。
Qǐng àn shí fú yòng zhè zhǒng yào.
Please take this medicine on time.
服用。
Yī shēng ràng wǒ měi tiān fú yòng sān cì.
The doctor told me to take it three times a day.
服用。
fú yòng Qián qǐng xiān yáo yún.
Shake well before taking.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

服 and 用 both mean to take or use, together describing taking medicine.

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

凡凡fántray

Sound part声符shēngfú

𠬝

𠬝𠬝服fú

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

In 服, the part 𠬝 was the original picture for 'to subdue'; the added left part 凡, a tray, later changed shape.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

用 was formed by adding a handle to an earlier form.

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 6 Medicine & Treatment 5000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

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