结膜炎 (jié mó yán) — conjunctivitis

Definition

A medical term for inflammation of the conjunctiva — the thin membrane covering the white of the eye and inner eyelid. Pattern: 得了结膜炎 ('to have/get conjunctivitis') is the typical way to use it.

noun
conjunctivitis

Examples

  • 结膜炎。
    Yī shēng shuō wǒ dé le jié mó yán.
    The doctor said I have conjunctivitis.
  • 结膜炎。
    Tā de jié mó yán xū yào dī yǎn yào shuǐ zhì liáo.
    His conjunctivitis needs to be treated with eye drops.
  • 结膜炎。
    Dé le jié mó yán yǐ hòu yào zhù yì shǒu bù wèi shēng.
    After getting conjunctivitis, you need to pay attention to hand hygiene.

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.

结膜conjunctiva
结jiéknot膜mómembrane
偏正Modifier + head
炎yáninflammation

结膜 names the conjunctiva, and 炎 means inflammation: conjunctivitis.

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
⺼Written in full as肉ròu
Sound part声符shēngfú
莫
莫mò膜mó
Same sound today

膜 combines ⺼ (written in full as 肉) with 莫, which gives the character its sound.

Open 膜 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

炎 places two 火 (fire) shapes vertically, one above the other, to show fire doubled.

Open 炎 →

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