横膈膜 (héng gé mó) — diaphragm (anatomy)

Definition

noun
diaphragm (anatomy)
Measure word · 块

Examples

  • 横膈膜。
    Pǎo bù shí shēn hū xī néng duàn liàn héng gé mó.
    Deep breathing while running can exercise the diaphragm.
  • 横膈膜。
    Yī shēng yòng tīng zhěn qì jiǎn chá le wǒ de héng gé mó.
    The doctor examined my diaphragm with a stethoscope.
  • 横膈膜。
    Tā de héng gé mó zài yí cì shì gù zhōng shòu shāng le.
    His diaphragm was injured in an accident.

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.

横hénghorizontal
膈膜diaphragm membrane
膈gédiaphragm膜mómembrane
偏正Modifier + head

横 gives horizontal, 膈 gives diaphragm, and 膜 gives membrane, naming the diaphragm.

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 橫; 横 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
木木mùwood
Sound part声符shēngfú
黃
黃huáng橫héng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 橫 has 木, meaning wood, beside 黃, which supplies the sound; the simplified 横 is a later abbreviation.

Open 横 →

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
⺼Written in full as肉ròu
Sound part声符shēngfú
鬲
鬲gé膈gé
Same sound today

The left part ⺼ is a body/flesh sign, marking this as a body part; the right part 鬲 gives the sound gé.

Open 膈 →

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
⺼Written in full as肉ròu
Sound part声符shēngfú
莫
莫mò膜mó
Same sound today

膜 combines ⺼ (written in full as 肉) with 莫, which gives the character its sound.

Open 膜 →

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