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催产素 (cuī chǎn sù) — oxytocin

Definition

noun
oxytocin

Examples

  • 催产素。
    cuī chǎn sù Shì yì zhǒng néng cù jìn fēn miǎn de jī sù.
    Oxytocin is a hormone that can promote childbirth.
  • 催产素。
    Yī shēng gěi tā zhù shè le cuī chǎn sù lái jiā qiáng gōng suō.
    The doctor injected her with oxytocin to strengthen contractions.
  • ，催产素。
    Yán jiū fā xiàn, yōng bào huì cù shǐ dà nǎo fēn mì cuī chǎn sù.
    Research has found that hugging prompts the brain to secrete oxytocin.

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.

催产promote childbirth
催cuīpromote产chǎnbirth
动宾Verb + object
素sùsubstance

催产 means promote childbirth, and 素 means substance, so the sense is a substance that promotes childbirth.

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 →

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

The shape of 素 came from a picture of hands braiding thread.

Open 素 →
Appears in
BiologyMedicine & Treatment

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