卵细胞 (luǎn xì bāo) — egg cell, ovum | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

egg cellovum

Measure word · 个

Examples

卵细胞。
luǎn xì bāo Shì shēng wù fán zhí de jī běn dān wèi.
Egg cells are the basic units of biological reproduction.
卵细胞。
Bǔ rǔ dòng wù de luǎn xì bāo tǐ jī bǐ jīng zǐ dà de duō.
The egg cells of mammals are much larger than sperm cells.
卵细胞。
Měi gè yuè de pái luǎn guò chéng zhōng zhǐ yǒu yí gè luǎn xì bāo chéng shú.
During the monthly ovulation process, only one egg cell matures.

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.

细胞cell

细xìfine胞bāocell

偏正Modifier + head

A 细胞 is a cell, and 卵 gives the idea of an egg.

Characters in this word

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

卵 comes from a picture of eggs or spawn.

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 細; 细 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

糸糸mì

Sound part声符shēngfú

囟

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 細 pairs 糸, silk or thread, with 囟 for the sound. The simplified 细 is a later shorthand, and the old right part changed shape.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

月包胞

Meaning part形符xíngfú

月Written in full as肉ròuflesh

Sound part声符shēngfú

包

包bāo胞bāo

Same sound today

胞 pairs 月 (flesh) with 包, a shape representing a pregnant figure, to point to the membrane enclosing a fetus.

Appears in

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