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条件反射 (tiáo jiàn fǎn shè) — conditioned reflex

Definition

A learned, automatic response to a stimulus (e.g. salivating at a bell) — the opposite of an unlearned 非条件反射.

noun
conditioned reflex

Examples

  • ，条件反射。
    Yì tīng dào líng shēng, gǒu jiù chǎn shēng le tiáo jiàn fǎn shè.
    As soon as the bell rang, the dog produced a conditioned reflex.
  • 条件反射。
    Zhè zhǒng tiáo jiàn fǎn shè shì zài cháng qī xùn liàn zhōng xíng chéng de.
    This conditioned reflex is formed through long-term training.
  • ，条件反射。
    Tā měi cì kàn dào níng méng dōu huì liú kǒu shuǐ, zhè shì diǎn xíng de tiáo jiàn fǎn shè.
    Every time he sees a lemon he salivates — this is a classic conditioned reflex.

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.

条件condition
条tiáoclause件jiànitem
联合Coordinate
反射reflex
反fǎnreverse射shèradiate
偏正Modifier + head

The response 反射 depends on a 条件, giving a learned reflex.

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 條; 条 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
木木mù
Sound part声符shēngfú
攸
攸yōu條tiáo
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 條 pairs 木, a small branch or stick, with 攸, which shows a person warned by a hand holding a stick, as a sound part; 条 is a later shortened shape.

Open 条 →

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

件 is made of 人, 'man', and 牛, 'cow'.

Open 件 →

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
又又yòuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
厂
厂chǎng反fǎn
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

反 uses 又 (hand) for meaning and 厂 for sound. Its original shape showed a hand turning its palm over, giving the sense of return or reverse.

Open 反 →

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

In 射, the left part comes from 弓 (bow) and 矢 (arrow), and the right part comes from a hand drawing the bowstring.

Open 射 →
Appears in
Biology

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