低血压 (dī xuè yā) — low blood pressure

Definition

noun
low blood pressure

Examples

  • 低血压，。
    Yī shēng shuō wǒ yǒu yì diǎn dī xuè yā, yào zhù yì xiū xi.
    The doctor said I have slight low blood pressure and should rest.
  • 低血压。
    dī xuè yā De zhèng zhuàng bāo kuò tóu yūn hé fá lì.
    Symptoms of low blood pressure include dizziness and fatigue.
  • 低血压。
    Tā tōng guò duō hē shuǐ gǎi shàn le dī xuè yā de wèn tí.
    He improved his low blood pressure problem by drinking more water.

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.

低dīlow
血压blood pressure
血xuèblood压yāpressure
偏正Modifier + head

低 (low) and 血压 (blood pressure) combine to mean low blood pressure.

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.

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.

Open 低 →

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

  • 一一yīdrop of blood
  • 皿皿mǐncontainer

The shape shows 一, a drop of blood, inside 皿, a container, for blood held in a sacrificial vessel.

Open 血 →

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 壓; 压 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
土土tǔdust
Sound part声符shēngfú
厭
厭yàn壓yā
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 壓 is built from 土, dust, and 厭, which gives the sound; 压 is the simplified form of 壓.

Open 压 →

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