烫伤 (tàng shāng) — to scald (burn with hot liquid or steam); a sca… | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Burn caused specifically by hot liquid or steam — use 烫伤 (not 烧伤, which is from fire or dry heat). It works as both a verb ('to scald') and a noun ('a scald'), measured with 处.

to scald (burn with hot liquid or steam)a scald (injury from hot liquid or steam)

Measure word · 处

Examples

烫伤。
Tā bèi kāi shuǐ tàng shāng le tuǐ.
He scalded his leg with boiling water.
烫伤，。
Zhè ge tàng shāng hěn yán zhòng, xū yào tú yào gāo.
This scald is serious and needs ointment.
，烫伤。
Zuò fàn de shí hou xiǎo xīn, bié tàng shāng dào shǒu.
When cooking, be careful not to scald your hand.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

伤shānginjury

烫 and 伤 combine for a scald injury.

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 燙; 烫 is its simplified writing.

湯火燙

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

湯

湯tāng燙tàng

Same sound today

In the traditional form 燙, 火 (fire) is paired with 湯 (tāng) for the sound.

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 傷; 伤 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

𥏻

𥏻𥏻傷shāng

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

The traditional form 傷 shows 人, a person, and uses 𥏻 to give the sound; the simplified 伤 is a later shorthand.

Appears in

Injury & Disability

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