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阵痛 (zhèn tòng) — labor pains (in childbirth); growing pains; temporary difficulties during a transition or reform

Definition

A metaphor borrowed from childbirth: 'labor pains' literally, but more often used for the painful but temporary difficulties that come with reform or transition — the growing pains of change.

noun
labor pains (in childbirth)growing painstemporary difficulties during a transition or reform

Examples

  • 阵痛，。
    Chǎn fù jīng lì le jǐ gè xiǎo shí de zhèn tòng, zhōng yú shēng xià le bǎo bao.
    The mother endured several hours of labor pains and finally delivered the baby.
  • 阵痛，。
    Jīng jì zhuǎn xíng qī bì rán huì chū xiàn zhèn tòng, dàn cháng qī lái kàn shì yǒu yì de.
    Growing pains inevitably appear during economic transition, but they are beneficial in the long run.
  • 阵痛，。
    Gǎi gé dài lái de zhèn tòng shì zàn shí de, bù néng yīn yē fèi shí.
    The pains brought by reform are temporary; we cannot stop eating for fear of choking.

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.

阵zhènbout
痛tòngpain

阵 (bout) describes how 痛 (pain) comes and goes, giving the sense of labor pains.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 陣; 阵 is its simplified writing.

  • 東東dōngsack?
  • 東東dōng
  • 攴攴pū

In the traditional form 陣, a left-side part was added to a shortened 東; the older shape also used 攴. The simplified 阵 is a later shorthand.

Open 阵 →

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nèillness
Sound part声符shēngfú
甬
甬yǒng痛tòng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The 疒 part means illness, and 甬 gives the sound; together they form 痛, meaning pain or hurt.

Open 痛 →
Appears in
Illness & SymptomsLife Stages & Age

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