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杂音 (zá yīn) — noise, unwanted sound; cacophony; electronic static; interference; medical murmur (e.g., heart murmur)

Definition

Literally 'mixed sounds' (杂 + 音), it covers unwanted noise across three registers: everyday unwanted sound, electronic static/interference, and a medical murmur (e.g., a heart murmur heard with a stethoscope).

noun
noiseunwanted soundcacophonyelectronic staticinterferencemedical murmur (e.g., heart murmur)

Examples

  • 杂音。
    Zhè tái jiù shōu yīn jī lǐ yǒu hěn duō zá yīn.
    There is a lot of static coming from this old radio.
  • 杂音。
    Lù yīn shí yào zhù yì bì miǎn zá yīn gān rǎo.
    When recording, be careful to avoid noise interference.
  • 杂音。
    Yī shēng jiǎn chá xīn zàng shí tīng dào le yí gè zá yīn.
    The doctor heard a murmur while examining the heart.

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.

杂zámixed
音yīnsound

杂 gives a mixed or noisy sense to 音 sound, producing unwanted or cacophonous sound.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 雜; 杂 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
衣衣yī
Sound part声符shēngfú
集
集jí雜zá
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 雜 pairs 衣 (clothes) with 集 as a sound part, originally referring to mixed colours, perhaps in dyed clothes; the simplified 杂 is a later shorthand.

Open 杂 →

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

音 adds a short stroke that seals the mouth-like part, showing a covered or muffled sound rather than speech.

Open 音 →
Appears in
Illness & Symptoms

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