药物学 (yào wù xué) — pharmacology | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

pharmacology

Examples

药物学。
Tā yán jiū yào wù xué.
He studies pharmacology.
药物学。
yào wù xué Shì yì mén zhòng yào de xué kē.
Pharmacology is an important discipline.
药物学。
Tā duì yào wù xué hěn gǎn xìng qù.
She is very interested in pharmacology.

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.

药物medicinal substance

药yàomedicine物wùthing

偏正Modifier + head

药物 names medicinal things, and 学 is the study of them.

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 藥; 药 is its simplified writing.

艹樂藥

Meaning part形符xíngfú

艹Written in full as艸cǎograss

Sound part声符shēngfú

樂

樂lè藥yào

Same sound today

In the traditional form 藥, 艹 shows grass and 樂 gives the sound; this story is about 藥, not about the simplified 药.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

牛勿物

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

勿

勿wù物wù

Same sound today

物 puts 牛 beside 勿: 牛 gives the meaning, and 勿 gives 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 學; 学 is its simplified writing.

爻爻yáo
六六liù

The traditional form 學 may have used 爻 and 六 for sound, with hands and a child added later; the simplified 学 is a shorthand.

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