脾脏 (pí zàng) — spleen | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

spleen

Examples

脾脏。
pí zàng Shì rén tǐ zhòng yào de miǎn yì qì guān.
The spleen is an important immune organ in the human body.
脾脏，。
Yī shēng jiǎn chá le tā de pí zàng, fā xiàn méi yǒu wèn tí.
The doctor examined his spleen and found no problems.
脾脏。
Chē huò dǎo zhì tā de pí zàng pò liè.
The car accident caused his spleen to rupture.

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.

脾píspleen

脾 names the spleen, and 脏 shows it is an organ, so the sense is the spleen as a bodily organ.

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ròuorgan

Sound part声符shēngfú

卑

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

脾 uses ⺼ (a form of 肉, organ) for the meaning and 卑 for the sound.

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.

骨葬髒

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.

Appears in

Organs & Anatomy

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