低烧 (dī shāo) — low-grade fever, slight fever

Definition

noun

low-grade feverslight fever

低烧，。
Wǒ zuì jìn yǒu diǎn dī shāo, yī shēng ràng wǒ duō xiū xi.
I've had a slight fever lately, and the doctor told me to rest more.
低烧，？
Hái zi dī shāo liǎng tiān le, yào bú yào qù yī yuàn kàn kàn?
The child has had a low fever for two days — should we go to the hospital?
，低烧。
Chī le yào zhī hòu, dī shāo màn màn tuì le.
After taking the medicine, the low fever gradually went away.

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.

低 (low) and 烧 (fever) combine to mean a slight fever.

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.

亻氐低

Meaning part形符xíngfú

亻Written in full as人rénman, person

Sound part声符shēngfú

氐

氐dī低dī

Same sound today

In 低, the left side 亻 is a person, and the right side 氐 gives the sound; the image is a person lowering or bowing themselves.

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 燒; 烧 is its simplified writing.

火堯燒

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

堯

堯yáo燒shāo

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 燒 pairs 火 (fire) with 堯, which supplies the sound; the simplified 烧 is a shorthand.