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主动脉 (zhǔ dòng mài) — aorta

Definition

The body's main artery carrying blood from the heart to the rest of the body. Compound of 主动 (main) + 脉 (vessel/artery); pairs naturally with 条.

noun
aorta
Measure word · 条

Examples

  • 主动脉，。
    zhǔ dòng mài Shì rén tǐ de zhǔ yào dòng mài, fù zé jiāng xuè yè cóng xīn zàng shū sòng dào quán shēn.
    The aorta is the body's main artery, responsible for transporting blood from the heart to the whole body.
  • 主动脉。
    Yī shēng zǐ xì jiǎn chá le bìng rén de zhǔ dòng mài.
    The doctor carefully examined the patient's aorta.
  • 主动脉，。
    zhǔ dòng mài Yí dàn pò liè, huì yǒu shēng mìng wēi xiǎn.
    Once the aorta ruptures, there is mortal danger.

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.

主zhǔmain
动脉artery
动dòngmoving脉màivessel
偏正Modifier + head

主 “main” + 动 “moving” + 脉 “vessel” forms the body’s main moving vessel.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The old forms that became 主 showed a lamp or torch with a flame at the top; other forms showed wood on fire or a spirit tablet.

Open 主 →

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 動; 动 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
力力lìstrength
Sound part声符shēngfú
重
重zhòng動dòng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 動 uses 力 (strength) and 重 as a sound part; 重 refers to a heavy bag ready to be moved by a human. This note is about 動, not 动.

Open 动 →

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 脈; 脉 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
⺼Written in full as肉ròuflesh
Sound part声符shēngfú
𠂢
𠂢𠂢脈mài
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 脈 pairs ⺼ (flesh) with a sound part, 𠂢; the simplified 脉 is a shorthand, so its right side is not the historical sound part.

Open 脉 →
Appears in
Organs & Anatomy

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