TongTong
Sign in

细胞核 (xì bāo hé) — cell nucleus

Definition

noun
cell nucleus
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 细胞核。
    xì bāo hé Shì xì bāo zhōng zuì zhòng yào de bù fen.
    The cell nucleus is the most important part of the cell.
  • 细胞核。
    Kē xué jiā zhèng zài yán jiū xì bāo hé de jié gòu.
    Scientists are studying the structure of the cell nucleus.
  • 细胞核。
    Zhè ge xì bāo hé lǐ hán yǒu yí chuán wù zhì.
    This cell nucleus contains genetic material.

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.

细胞cell
细xìsmall胞bāocell
偏正Modifier + head
核hénucleus

细胞 (cell) and 核 (core) combine to name the nucleus 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 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 →

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
木木mùtree
Sound part声符shēngfú
亥
亥hài核hé
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

核 pairs 木, a tree, with 亥 to give its sound; it originally named a kind of tree, and its later meanings are borrowed.

Open 核 →
Appears in
Biology

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.