血管 (xuè guǎn) — blood vessel | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

血管 is the general word for 'blood vessel' (any kind). 动脉 specifically means an artery (carrying blood from the heart); 血脉 is the same anatomical sense but also used figuratively for bloodline or lineage.

noun

blood vessel

Measure word · 根

Examples

血管。
Yī shēng jiǎn chá le wǒ de yì gēn xuè guǎn.
The doctor examined one of my blood vessels.
血管，。
Zhè gēn xuè guǎn hěn xì, bù róng yì zhǎo dào.
This blood vessel is very thin and hard to find.
血管。
Yùn dòng kě yǐ bǎo hù xuè guǎn jiàn kāng.
Exercise can protect blood vessel health.

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) + 管 (tube) forms a tube carrying blood.

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.

竹官管

Meaning part形符xíngfú

竹竹zhúbamboo

Sound part声符shēngfú

官

官guān管guǎn

Same sound today

管 has 竹 (bamboo) on top to show it relates to bamboo, and 官 gives its sound.

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 6 Organs & Anatomy

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