胆结石 (dǎn jié shí) — gallstone | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

gallstone

Measure word · 颗

胆结石，。
Tā zuì jìn chá chū yǒu dǎn jié shí, xū yào zuò shǒu shù.
He was recently found to have gallstones and needs surgery.
胆结石。
Chī tài duō yóu zhá shí wù róng yì yǐn qǐ dǎn jié shí.
Eating too many fried foods can easily cause gallstones.
，胆结石。
Yī shēng jiàn yì tā duō hē shuǐ, yù fáng dǎn jié shí.
The doctor advised her to drink more water to prevent gallstones.

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.

结石stone formed

动宾Verb + object

胆 is the gall, and 结石 describes a stone formed inside, naming a gallstone.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

⺼Written in full as肉ròubody part

Sound part声符shēngfú

旦

Same sound today

胆 combines ⺼, written as 肉 when full, for a body part, with 旦 as a sound part.

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.

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 石 shows a stone under a cliff-like overhang, or a cave set into a cliff side.