脑室 (nǎo shì) — ventricles of the brain

Definition

Specialized medical term for the cavities inside the brain that contain cerebrospinal fluid. Learners will usually encounter it in clinical contexts like imaging or hydrocephalus (脑积水).

noun
ventricles of the brain

Examples

  • 脑室。
    Yī shēng jiǎn chá bìng rén de nǎo shì shì fǒu zhèng cháng.
    The doctor checks if the patient's ventricles are normal.
  • 脑室。
    nǎo shì Kuò dà kě néng yì wèi zhe nǎo jī shuǐ.
    Enlarged ventricles may mean hydrocephalus.
  • 脑室。
    nǎo shì De xíng zhuàng hé dà xiǎo kě yǐ tōng guò yǐng xiàng jiǎn chá kàn dào.
    The shape and size of the ventricles can be seen with imaging.

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.

脑nǎobrain
室shìchamber

脑室 builds on 脑 meaning brain and 室 meaning chamber for the chambers inside the brain.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 腦; 脑 is its simplified writing.

  • 匕匕bǐ
  • 巛巛chuānhair
  • 囟囟xìnhead; fontanel

In the traditional form 腦, the older part 匕 was replaced by a flesh part, while 巛 (hair) and 囟 (head; fontanel) stayed. The simplified 脑 is a later abbreviation.

Open 脑 →

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
宀宀miánroof
Sound part声符shēngfú
至
至zhì室shì
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

室 puts 宀 (roof) over 至, the spot where someone stops, giving the meaning of a house or residence.

Open 室 →

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