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内脏 (nèi zàng) — internal organs; viscera

Definition

内脏 refers to the actual organs inside a body (heart, liver, stomach, etc.), while 内部 is a broader word for any interior or internal part of a thing or organization.

noun
internal organsviscera

Examples

  • 内脏。
    Rén tǐ de nèi zàng xū yào dìng qī jiǎn chá.
    The human body's internal organs need regular check-ups.
  • 内脏。
    Xǔ duō dòng wù nèi zàng kě yǐ zuò chéng měi shí.
    Many animal organs can be made into delicious food.
  • 。
    Cháng qī guò liàng yǐn jiǔ huì duì nèi zàng zào chéng yán zhòng sǔn hài.
    Long-term excessive drinking can cause serious damage to the internal organs.

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.

内nèiinside
脏zāngorgans

内 points to inside, and 脏 names organs; together they refer to the organs within the body.

Characters in this word

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

  • 入入rùto enter
  • 冂冂jiōnghouse

The shape shows 入 entering into 冂, a house, so it pictures bringing something indoors, giving the sense inside.

Open 内 →

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 髒; 脏 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 脏 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (心脏) it is 臟; in others (脏) it is 髒.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
骨骨gǔbone
Sound part声符shēngfú
葬
葬zàng髒zàng
Same sound today

The traditional form 髒 combines 骨 (bone) with 葬 (zàng) for the sound.

Open 脏 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Organs & Anatomy

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