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红细胞 (hóng xì bāo) — red blood cell

Definition

noun
red blood cell
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 红细胞。
    hóng xì bāo Fù zé yùn shū yǎng qì dào quán shēn.
    Red blood cells are responsible for transporting oxygen throughout the body.
  • 红细胞。
    Yī shēng jiǎn chá le tā de hóng xì bāo shù liàng.
    The doctor checked his red blood cell count.
  • 红细胞。
    Pín xuè shí hóng xì bāo shù liàng huì jiǎn shǎo.
    The number of red blood cells decreases during anemia.

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.

红hóngred
细胞cell
细xìfine胞bāocell
偏正Modifier + head

红 gives the color; 细 and 胞 build the sense of a cell.

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 紅; 红 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mìsilk
Sound part声符shēngfú
工
工gōng紅hóng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 紅 puts 糸 (silk) next to 工, which gives the sound; the simplified 红 is a later shorthand.

Open 红 →

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 細; 细 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mì
Sound part声符shēngfú
囟
囟xìn細xì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 細 pairs 糸, silk or thread, with 囟 for the sound. The simplified 细 is a later shorthand, and the old right part changed shape.

Open 细 →

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
月Written in full as肉ròuflesh
Sound part声符shēngfú
包
包bāo胞bāo
Same sound today

胞 pairs 月 (flesh) with 包, a shape representing a pregnant figure, to point to the membrane enclosing a fetus.

Open 胞 →
Appears in
BiologyOrgans & Anatomy

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