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躯体 (qū tǐ) — body (of a living person or animal); carcass (of a dead animal)

Definition

A formal, written-register word for the human or animal 'body,' used in medical, scientific, or literary contexts rather than daily speech. Pairs naturally with 身体 (the everyday term) and refers to the physical organism as a whole.

noun
body (of a living person or animal)carcass (of a dead animal)
Measure word · 具

Examples

  • 躯体。
    Tā de qū tǐ yīn cháng qī duàn liàn ér fēi cháng qiáng jiàn.
    His body is very strong from long-term exercise.
  • 躯体。
    Fǎ yī zǐ xì jiǎn chá le nà zhī dòng wù de qū tǐ.
    The forensic examiner carefully inspected that animal's carcass.
  • 躯体。
    Zhè zhǒng jí bìng huì yǐng xiǎng zhěng gè qū tǐ.
    This disease affects the entire body.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

躯qūbody
体tǐbody

“躯体” pairs “躯” (body) and “体” (body), emphasizing the physical body.

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 軀; 躯 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
身身shēnbody
Sound part声符shēngfú
區
區qū軀qū
Same sound today

The traditional form 軀 puts 身, a body, beside 區, which gives the sound. The simplified 躯 is a shorthand, so its parts are not the historical components.

Open 躯 →

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 體; 体 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
骨骨gǔbone
Sound part声符shēngfú
豊
豊lǐ體tǐ
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 體 pairs 骨 (bone) with 豊 as a sound part; this note is about 體, not about the parts of 体.

Open 体 →
Appears in
Body Parts

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