盗汗 (dào hán) — (TCM) night sweat, a symptom of sweating during sleep, often associated with yin deficiency or internal heat

Definition

Night sweating during sleep — a TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) symptom, distinct from 自汗 (spontaneous sweating while awake). Often linked to yin deficiency or deficient heat.

noun
(TCM) night sweat, a symptom of sweating during sleep, often associated with yin deficiency or internal heat

Examples

  • 盗汗，。
    Tā zuì jìn zǒng shì chū xiàn dào hán de zhèng zhuàng, xū yào qù kàn kàn zhōng yī.
    He has been having night sweats lately and needs to see a Chinese medicine doctor.
  • 盗汗，。
    Yī shēng shuō tā zhè shì xū huǒ yǐn qǐ de dào hán, yào tiáo lǐ.
    The doctor said his night sweats are caused by deficient fire and need to be regulated.
  • 盗汗，。
    dào hán Hé zì hàn shì bù tóng de zhèng zhuàng, yào qū bié duì dài.
    Night sweat and spontaneous sweat are different symptoms and should be treated differently.

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.

盗dàothief
汗hànsweat

盗 suggests a thief sneaking, and 汗 is sweat; together they name sweat that comes out secretly during sleep.

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 盜; 盗 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 盜 combines 㳄 (drooling/craving) with a vessel shape, meaning to covet someone else's possessions and steal; 盗 is the simplified writing of 盜.

Open 盗 →

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
水水shuǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
干
干gān汗hàn
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

汗 has 水, the water form, beside 干; 水 relates to liquid sweat, while 干 gives the sound.

Open 汗 →

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