炮制 (páo zhì) — to process and cure (Chinese medicine herbs); to concoct, to fabricate (a story, news, excuse)

Definition

Literally the TCM term for processing/curing herbs, but used figuratively to mean 'to concoct or fabricate' a story, news, or excuse. Always carries a negative sense in the figurative use.

verb
to process and cure (Chinese medicine herbs)to concoctto fabricate (a story, news, excuse)

Examples

  • 炮制，。
    Zhōng yào de páo zhì guò chéng fēi cháng jiǎng jiu, bù tóng de yào cái yǒu bù tóng de fāng fǎ.
    The processing of Chinese medicine is very meticulous; different herbs have different methods.
  • 炮制。
    Zhè piān bào dào wán quán shì páo zhì chū lái de jiǎ xīn wén.
    This report is completely fabricated fake news.
  • 炮制，。
    Tā páo zhì le yí gè jiè kǒu, shuō zì jǐ shēng bìng le bù néng lái.
    He concocted an excuse, saying he was sick and couldn't come.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

炮pàoprocess by heating
制zhìmake or cure

炮 and 制 both describe making or curing, together meaning to process, concoct, or fabricate.

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
火火huǒ
Sound part声符shēngfú
包
包bāo炮pào
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

炮 combines 火 and 包; 包 supplies the sound.

Open 炮 →

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

The form 制 pairs 朱 (tree) with 刀 (knife), showing the act of cutting a tree.

Open 制 →

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