产道 (chǎn dào) — birth canal (the passage from the uterus through the cervix and vagina that the baby passes through during delivery)

Definition

Strict anatomical/medical term for the 'birth canal' — the passage the baby travels through during vaginal delivery. In everyday HSK-level talk you will usually hear 自然分娩 or just 生产 instead.

noun
birth canal (the passage from the uterus through the cervix and vagina that the baby passes through during delivery)

Examples

  • 产道。
    Tāi ér shùn lì tōng guò chǎn dào shì zì rán fēn miǎn de guān jiàn.
    The baby passing smoothly through the birth canal is key to a natural delivery.
  • 产道，。
    Yī shēng jiǎn chá le tā de chǎn dào, shuō qíng kuàng zhèng cháng.
    The doctor examined her birth canal and said everything was normal.
  • 产道。
    Chǎn qián xùn liàn yǒu zhù yú fàng sōng chǎn dào jī ròu.
    Prenatal exercises help relax the muscles of the birth canal.

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.

产chǎnbirth
道dàopassage

产 (birth) specifies the kind of 道 (passage), making the birth canal.

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 產; 产 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
生生shēngto be born
Sound part声符shēngfú
彥
彥yàn產chǎn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 產 pairs 生, "to be born," with 彥 as a sound part; the simplified 产 is a shorthand.

Open 产 →

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
行行xíngstreet
止止zhǐfoot
Sound part声符shēngfú
𩠐
首shǒu道dào
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

Early 道 showed a street 行, a foot 止, and a part written 首 or 𩠐; the right part of 行 later disappeared.

Open 道 →

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