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过敏症 (guò mǐn zhèng) — allergic reaction

Definition

noun
allergic reaction

Examples

  • 过敏症。
    Tā chī le huā shēng hòu chū xiàn le guò mǐn zhèng.
    He developed an allergic reaction after eating peanuts.
  • 过敏症。
    guò mǐn zhèng De zhèng zhuàng bāo kuò pí fū fā hóng hé yǎng.
    Symptoms of an allergic reaction include red skin and itching.
  • 过敏症？
    Nǐ duì shén me shí wù yǒu guò mǐn zhèng?
    What food are you allergic to?

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.

过敏overly sensitive
过guòoverly敏mǐnsensitive
偏正Modifier + head
症zhèngcondition

过 and 敏 mean overly sensitive, and 症 names the condition.

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 過; 过 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
辵辵chuòwalk
Sound part声符shēngfú
咼
咼wāi過guò
Same sound today

The traditional form 過 pairs 辵 (walk) with 咼 as a sound component; the simplified 过 is a shorthand, and its parts are not the historical components.

Open 过 →

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
攴攴pūhand; action
Sound part声符shēngfú
每
每měi敏mǐn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

敏 pairs 每, which gives the sound, with 攴, a hand/action part.

Open 敏 →

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
疒疒nèdisease
Sound part声符shēngfú
正
正zhèng症zhèng
Same sound today

The left part 疒 shows it is about disease. The right part 正 is used for the sound.

Open 症 →
Appears in
Illness & Symptoms

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