脏器 (zàng qì) — viscera, internal organs (of the body); (Chinese medicine) zang (depot) organ, the solid yin organ that stores essence

Definition

Literally 'viscera / internal organs.' In Chinese medicine, it refers specifically to the five solid yin organs (心肝脾肺肾) that store essence — distinct from 腑 (the hollow yang organs).

noun
viscerainternal organs (of the body)(Chinese medicine) zang (depot) organ, the solid yin organ that stores essence

Examples

  • 脏器。
    Cháng qī yǐn jiǔ huì yán zhòng sǔn hài zàng qì gōng néng.
    Long-term drinking can severely damage the function of internal organs.
  • 脏器，。
    Zhōng yī rèn wéi zàng qì zhī jiān xiāng hù yǐng xiǎng, wéi chí shēn tǐ píng héng.
    Chinese medicine believes that the zang organs interact with each other to maintain bodily balance.
  • 脏器。
    Zhè fèn tǐ jiǎn bào gào xiáng xì fēn xī le gè gè zàng qì de zhuàng kuàng.
    This medical report provides a detailed analysis of the condition of each organ.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

脏zāngviscera
器qìorgan

脏 and 器 both refer to organs, so the word names the body's viscera.

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 髒; 脏 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 脏 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (心脏) it is 臟; in others (脏) it is 髒.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
骨骨gǔbone
Sound part声符shēngfú
葬
葬zàng髒zàng
Same sound today

The traditional form 髒 combines 骨 (bone) with 葬 (zàng) for the sound.

Open 脏 →

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

The origin of 器 is uncertain; one traditional account reads the whole shape as a scene of guarding over four vessels.

Open 器 →

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