遗传学 (yí chuán xué) — genetics | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

genetics

Examples

遗传学。
Tā dà xué xué de shì yí chuán xué.
He studied genetics in college.
遗传学。
yí chuán xué Shì yán jiū jī yīn hé yí chuán de kē xué.
Genetics is the science that studies genes and heredity.
遗传学，。
Tā duì yí chuán xué hěn gǎn xìng qù, xiǎng dāng yán jiū yuán.
She is very interested in genetics and wants to become a researcher.

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.

遗传inheritance

遗yíleave behind传chuántransmit

联合Coordinate

学xuéstudy

“遗传” conveys passing down inherited traits, and “学” names the study of that process.

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 遺; 遗 is its simplified writing.

辶貴遺

Meaning part形符xíngfú

辶Written in full as辵chuòmove

Sound part声符shēngfú

貴

貴guì遺yí

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 遺 pairs 辶 (move) with 貴 as a sound part; the simplified 遗 is a shorthand, and its right side is not the old sound part.

Open 遗 →

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 傳; 传 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

人人rénman

Sound part声符shēngfú

專

專zhuān傳chuán

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 傳 puts 人 (man) beside 專, which gives the sound; the simplified 传 is a later shorthand, and its parts are not the historical ones.

Open 传 →

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 學; 学 is its simplified writing.