肾病 (shèn bìng) — kidney disease; nephrosis | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

kidney diseasenephrosis

Examples

肾病，。
Tā dé le shèn bìng, xū yào dìng qī qù yī yuàn.
He has kidney disease and needs to go to the hospital regularly.
肾病。
Zhè zhǒng yào wù kě yǐ zhì liáo zǎo qī shèn bìng.
This medicine can treat early-stage kidney disease.
肾病。
Duō hē shuǐ néng yù fáng shèn bìng.
Drinking more water can help prevent kidney disease.

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.

病bìngdisease

肾 (kidney) and 病 (disease) together name a disease of the kidney.

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 腎; 肾 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

⺼Written in full as肉ròumeat; flesh

Sound part声符shēngfú

臤

臤qiān腎shèn

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 腎 pairs ⺼ (flesh) with 臤 as a sound hint, and it names a body part, the kidneys. The simplified 肾 is a later shorthand.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

疒丙病

Meaning part形符xíngfú

疒疒nèsickness

Sound part声符shēngfú

丙

丙bǐng病bìng

Same sound today

病 pairs 疒, a sickness mark, with 丙, which gives the sound; 丙 also means fire, giving a picture of lying feverishly in bed.

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