麻醉针 (má zuì zhēn) — anesthetic needle, anesthesia injection

Definition

noun
anesthetic needleanesthesia injection
Measure word · 支

Examples

  • 麻醉针。
    Yī shēng yòng má zuì zhēn gěi bìng rén dǎ le yì zhēn.
    The doctor gave the patient an injection with an anesthetic needle.
  • 麻醉针，。
    Tā zhōng le yì gēn má zuì zhēn, lì kè shuì zháo le.
    He was hit with an anesthetic dart and fell asleep immediately.
  • 麻醉针，。
    Zhè tóu shī zi bèi shè le yì má zuì zhēn, rán hòu bèi yùn zǒu le.
    This lion was shot with one anesthesia dart and then transported away.

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.

麻醉anesthetic
麻mánumb醉zuìintoxicated
联合Side by side
针zhēnneedle

麻醉 numbs and dulls pain, and 针 is the needle used to deliver it.

Characters in this word

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

麻 combines 厂 and 𣏟 to represent hemp leaves.

Open 麻 →

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
酉酉yǒualcoholic drink
Sound part声符shēngfú
卒
卒zú醉zuì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

醉 combines 酉, a sign for alcoholic drink, with 卒, which supplies the sound.

Open 醉 →

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 針; 针 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
釒Written in full as金jīnmetal
Sound part声符shēngfú
十
十shí針zhēn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 針 puts 釒, the metal side, beside 十, which gives the sound; 针 is a simplified shorthand.

Open 针 →

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