查房 (chá fáng) — to do hospital rounds (of doctors) | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

A separable verb used for doctors or nurses making their routine visit to check on patients in hospital rooms. Splits as 查…房 in V-了 / V-过 / V-几次 constructions (e.g. 查了两次房).

verb

to do hospital rounds (of doctors)

Examples

查房。
Yī shēng měi tiān zǎo shàng bā diǎn chá fáng.
The doctors do rounds at eight o'clock every morning.
。
Jīn tiān zǎo shàng yī shēng chá le liǎng cì fáng.
The doctors did rounds twice this morning.
查房。
Hù shi zhèng zài gěi bìng rén chá fáng.
The nurse is accompanying the doctor on rounds for the patients.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

查 check and 房 rooms or ward combine as checking rooms.

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

木木mùwood

Sound part声符shēngfú

且

且qiě查chá

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

查 pairs 木 (wood) with 且, which shows the sound. It originally meant a hawthorn tree or a wooden raft.

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

戶戶hùdoor

Sound part声符shēngfú

方

方fāng房fáng

Same sound today

房 pairs 戶 (door) with 方 (fāng) as a sound part; 方 can also fit 'side,' as in a side room beside the main room.

Appears in

Hospital & Clinic

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