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消化系统 (xiāo huà xì tǒng) — digestive system

Definition

noun
digestive system

Examples

  • 消化系统。
    Yī shēng jiàn yì tā jiǎn chá yí xià xiāo huà xì tǒng.
    The doctor suggested he get his digestive system checked.
  • 消化系统。
    Jiàn kāng de xiāo huà xì tǒng duì xī shōu yíng yǎng hěn zhòng yào.
    A healthy digestive system is very important for absorbing nutrients.
  • 消化系统。
    Yā lì huì yǐng xiǎng xiāo huà xì tǒng de zhèng cháng gōng néng.
    Stress can affect the normal function of the digestive system.

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.

消化digestion
消xiāodissolve化huàtransform
联合Coordinate
系统system
系xìconnect统tǒngunify
联合Coordinate

消 and 化 give digestion, while 系 and 统 give a system, naming the digestive system.

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
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
肖
肖xiào消xiāo
Same sound today

消 has 氵 (water) beside 肖. The water part connects to putting out or making something vanish, and 肖 gives the sound.

Open 消 →

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

化 shows two person figures, one upright and one upside down, to give the idea of reversal or change.

Open 化 →

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

系 is made by putting together 手 (hand) and 糸 (silk).

Open 系 →

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 統; 统 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mì
Sound part声符shēngfú
充
充chōng統tǒng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 統 uses 糸 as a meaning part and 充 as a sound part; the simplified 统 is a later shorthand, so this story is about 統, not about 统's parts.

Open 统 →
Appears in
Organs & Anatomy

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