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化验 (huà yàn) — to do a lab test (on blood, urine, etc.)

Definition

化验 specifically means a medical/lab test of a sample (blood, urine, etc.). 检验 is broader — any inspection or examination, medical or industrial; 试验 is an experiment to try something out.

verb
to do a lab test (on blood, urine, etc.)

Examples

  • 化验。
    Yī shēng jiàn yì wǒ zuò yí cì huà yàn.
    The doctor suggested I get a lab test.
  • 化验。
    Zhè jiā yī yuàn de huà yàn jié guǒ hěn zhǔn què.
    The test results from this hospital are very accurate.
  • 化验。
    Bǎ huà yàn bào gào dài gěi yī shēng kàn kàn.
    Take the lab report to the doctor to have a look.

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.

化huàchemical
验yàntest

A 验 (test) using 化 (chemical) methods is a lab test.

Characters in this word

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

化 shows two person figures, one upright and one upside down, to give the idea of reversal or change.

Open 化 →

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 驗; 验 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
馬馬mǎ
Sound part声符shēngfú
僉
僉qiān驗yàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 驗 pairs 馬 (horse) with 僉 for sound; the simplified 验 is a later abbreviation.

Open 验 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6Medicine & Treatment

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