胶囊 (jiāo náng) — capsule (pharmaceutical) | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

capsule (pharmaceutical)

Measure word · 粒

Examples

胶囊。
Wǒ měi tiān chī yí lì jiāo náng.
I take one capsule every day.
胶囊。
Yī shēng ràng wǒ zǎo wǎn gè chī yí lì jiāo náng.
The doctor told me to take one capsule each morning and evening.
胶囊。
Zhè zhǒng jiāo náng bǐ yào piàn gèng róng yì tūn fú.
This type of capsule is easier to swallow than tablets.

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.

胶jiāogelatin

A gelatin-like substance plus a pouch names a small sealed capsule.

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 膠; 胶 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

⺼Written in full as肉ròumeat; flesh

Sound part声符shēngfú

翏

翏liù膠jiāo

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

The traditional form 膠 pairs ⺼ (meat; flesh) with 翏, which gives the sound.

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

㯻㯻㯻bag

Sound part声符shēngfú

襄

襄xiāng囊náng

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

囊 is made from 㯻, a tied bag with items inside, plus an abbreviated form of 襄 that gives the sound.

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 7-9 Medicine & Treatment

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