血液 (xuè yè) — blood | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Literally 'blood liquid' — used in scientific, medical, and written contexts (血液循环, 血液检查). 血 (xiě) is the everyday spoken word, while 血液 emphasizes the substance as a whole system.

noun

blood

Examples

血液，。
Yī shēng jiǎn chá le tā de xuè yè, shuō yí qiè zhèng cháng.
The doctor tested his blood and said everything was normal.
血液。
xuè yè Bǎ yǎng qì hé yíng yǎng sòng dào quán shēn.
Blood carries oxygen and nutrients throughout the body.
。
Měi nián dōu yǒu hěn duō rén qù xiàn xuè yè.
Every year many people go to donate blood.

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.

血 (blood) + 液 (fluid) forms blood as a fluid.

Characters in this word

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

一一yīdrop of blood
皿皿mǐncontainer

The shape shows 一, a drop of blood, inside 皿, a container, for blood held in a sacrificial vessel.

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

氵夜液

Meaning part形符xíngfú

氵Written in full as水shuǐwater

Sound part声符shēngfú

夜

夜yè液yè

Same sound today

The left side 氵 is water, and the right side 夜 gives the sound; together they form 液, a liquid, like water.

Appears in

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