脱臼 (tuō jiù) — to dislocate (a joint)

Definition

Means a joint pops out of its socket — a medical injury, not a general 'to come apart'. Often used with 把 (把肩膀脱臼) to mark what was dislocated.

verb

to dislocate (a joint)

脱臼。
Tā dǎ lán qiú de shí hou tuō jiù le jiān bǎng.
He dislocated his shoulder while playing basketball.
，。
Tā de gē bo tuō le yí cì jiù, xiàn zài hái méi hǎo.
His arm was dislocated once, and it still hasn't healed.
，脱臼。
Tā shuāi dǎo le, bǎ shǒu wàn tuō jiù le.
He fell down and dislocated his wrist.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

臼jiùjoint socket

脱 means to detach and 臼 means the joint socket, so the action is detaching a joint.

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 脫; 脱 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

⺼Written in full as肉ròu

Sound part声符shēngfú

兌

兌duì脫tuō

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

The traditional form 脫 puts ⺼ (meat) beside 兌, which gives the sound; the simplified 脱 is a shorthand, and its parts are not the historical pieces.

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

臼 pictures a mortar, a bowl-like vessel used for pounding.

Appears in