医药箱 (yī yào xiāng) — first-aid kit, medicine cabinet, medical bag

Definition

noun
first-aid kitmedicine cabinetmedical bag
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 医药箱，。
    Wǒ jiā yǒu yí gè yī yào xiāng, lǐ miàn fàng zhe cháng yòng yào.
    My home has a first-aid kit with common medicines inside.
  • 医药箱，。
    Tā dǎ kāi yī yào xiāng, ná chū le shā bù hé xiāo dú shuǐ.
    He opened the medical bag and took out gauze and disinfectant.
  • 医药箱。
    Dēng shān qián bié wàng le dài shàng yī yào xiāng.
    Don't forget to bring a first-aid kit before climbing.

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.

医药medical and medicine
医yīmedical药yàomedicine
联合Side by side
箱xiāngbox

医 means medical and 药 means medicine, so 医药箱 is a box for medical supplies.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 醫; 医 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
酉酉yǒuliquor
Sound part声符shēngfú
殹
殹yì醫yī
Same sound today

The traditional form 醫 pairs 酉 (liquor) with 殹 as a sound part; the simplified 医 is a shorthand, so its parts are not the historical ones.

Open 医 →

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 藥; 药 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
艹Written in full as艸cǎograss
Sound part声符shēngfú
樂
樂lè藥yào
Same sound today

In the traditional form 藥, 艹 shows grass and 樂 gives the sound; this story is about 藥, not about the simplified 药.

Open 药 →

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
𥫗Written in full as竹zhúbamboo
Sound part声符shēngfú
相
相xiāng箱xiāng
Same sound today

箱 combines 竹, showing bamboo, with 相 as a sound part, to write a bamboo box or case.

Open 箱 →

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