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轻度 (qīng dù) — mild (in degree, severity, or intensity)

Definition

adjective
mild (in degree, severity, or intensity)

Examples

  • 轻度，。
    Tā zhǐ yǒu qīng dù de gǎn mào, bù xū yào chī yào.
    He only has a mild cold and doesn't need to take medicine.
  • 轻度。
    Zhè cì dì zhèn zào chéng de sǔn shī shì qīng dù de.
    The damage caused by this earthquake is mild.
  • 轻度，。
    Yī shēng shuō tā zhǐ shì qīng dù shòu shāng, xiū xi jǐ tiān jiù hǎo.
    The doctor said he was only mildly injured and would be fine after resting a few days.

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.

轻qīngmild
度dùdegree

轻 means mild and 度 means degree, so the sense is mild in degree.

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 輕; 轻 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
車車jūcarriage
Sound part声符shēngfú
巠
巠jīng輕qīng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 輕 pairs 車, a carriage, with 巠 to give the sound; it originally named a light carriage. The simplified 轻 is only a later shorthand.

Open 轻 →

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
又又yòuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
石
石shí度dù
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

度 has 又 (hand) and a changed form of 石; 石 gives a related sound, and the hand is tied to using the hand as a reference for measurement.

Open 度 →
Appears in
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