结核 (jié hé) — tuberculosis; (mineralogy) nodule

Definition

Two distinct senses: the common medical meaning "tuberculosis" (结核病 short for 结核病) and a geology/mineralogy term for a "nodule" (rounded mineral concretion in rock).

noun
tuberculosis(mineralogy) nodule
Easily confused

Examples

  • 结核，。
    Tā dé le jié hé, xū yào zhù yuàn zhì liáo.
    He got tuberculosis and needs to be hospitalized for treatment.
  • 结核。
    jié hé Shì yì zhǒng yán zhòng de chuán rǎn bìng.
    Tuberculosis is a serious infectious disease.
  • 结核。
    Zhè kuài yán shí lǐ yǒu hěn duō jié hé.
    There are many nodules in this rock.

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.

结jiéknot
核hécore

结 suggests a knot-like lump, and 核 a core, together naming a hard nodule.

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 結; 结 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mì
Sound part声符shēngfú
吉
吉jí結jié
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 結 pairs 糸 with 吉; 吉 gives the sound, and 糸 relates to the meaning. The simplified 结 is a later shorthand.

Open 结 →

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 →

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