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颈椎 (jǐng zhuī) — cervical vertebra (the seven vertebrae in the neck)

Definition

颈椎 (jǐngzhuī) refers specifically to the cervical vertebrae — the seven neck bones — while 脖子 is the whole neck (front, back, and sides). Use 颈椎 in medical contexts.

noun
cervical vertebra (the seven vertebrae in the neck)
Measure word · 节

Examples

  • 颈椎。
    Shuì jiào shí zhěn tou tài gāo duì jǐng zhuī bù hǎo.
    Sleeping with a pillow that is too high is bad for your cervical vertebrae.
  • 颈椎。
    Tā yīn wèi jǐng zhuī téng tòng qù kàn le zhōng yī.
    He went to see a Chinese medicine doctor because of cervical vertebra pain.
  • 颈椎X。
    Yī shēng jiàn yì wǒ pāi yì zhāng jǐng zhuī de X guāng piàn.
    The doctor suggested I get an X-ray of my cervical vertebrae.

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.

颈jǐngneck
椎zhuīvertebra

The 颈 refers to the neck and the 椎 to a vertebra.

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 頸; 颈 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
頁頁yèhead
Sound part声符shēngfú
巠
巠jīng頸gěng
Same sound today

The traditional form 頸 uses 頁, head, to show the meaning, and 巠 to give the sound; the simplified 颈 is a later shorthand.

Open 颈 →

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
木木mùtree
Sound part声符shēngfú
隹
隹zhuī椎zhuī
Same sound today

椎 combines 木 (tree) with 隹, which gives the sound zhuī; the idea is a piece of wood used to smash things, a hammer or mallet.

Open 椎 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 6HSK 2.0 Level 6Body Parts

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