催产 (cuī chǎn) — to induce labor, to hasten childbirth

Definition

Medical term for inducing labor or speeding up childbirth — a doctor uses drugs or other methods to start contractions when needed. Typically used in clinical/medical contexts.

verb
to induce laborto hasten childbirth

Examples

  • 催产。
    Yī shēng jué dìng gěi yùn fù cuī chǎn.
    The doctor decided to induce labor for the pregnant woman.
  • ，。
    Tā yīn wèi guò le yù chǎn qī, suǒ yǐ cuī le yí cì chǎn.
    Because she was past her due date, she had labor induced once.
  • 催产，。
    cuī chǎn Zhēn dǎ wán hòu, tā hěn kuài jiù yǒu le gōng suō.
    After the induction shot, she soon had contractions.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

催cuīurge
产chǎnchildbirth

催 means urge and 产 means childbirth, so the word describes hastening delivery.

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rénperson
Sound part声符shēngfú
崔
崔cuī催cuī
Same sound today

催 combines 亻, the person part, with 崔, which gives the sound.

Open 催 →

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 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.