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震颤 (zhèn chàn) — to tremble, to quiver

Definition

A formal, often medical or literary verb for 'to tremble / quiver,' typically used for involuntary shaking (body, voice, ground). Stronger and more written than everyday 发抖 or 颤抖.

verb
to trembleto quiver

Examples

  • ，震颤。
    Dì zhèn shí, dà dì zhèn chàn qǐ lái.
    During the earthquake, the ground trembled.
  • 震颤。
    Tā jǐn zhāng dé shuāng shǒu bù tíng zhèn chàn.
    He was so nervous that his hands kept trembling.
  • ，震颤。
    Tīng dào zhè ge xiāo xi, tā de shēng yīn yǒu xiē zhèn chàn.
    Upon hearing this news, her voice quivered a little.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

震zhènshake
颤chàntremble

震 means shake and 颤 means tremble; together they name a trembling motion.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
雨雨yǔ
Sound part声符shēngfú
辰
辰chén震zhèn
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

震 combines 雨 (rain) with 辰 (chén), which gives the sound; 雨 is the part associated with the character’s meaning.

Open 震 →

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 顫; 颤 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
頁頁yèhead
Sound part声符shēngfú
亶
亶dǎn顫chàn
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In the traditional form 顫, 頁 shows the head and 亶 supplies the sound; the simplified 颤 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the original components.

Open 颤 →
Appears in
Illness & Symptoms

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