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发情期 (fā qíng qī) — (of animals) estrus, heat period

Definition

A biology term for the period when an animal is fertile and ready to mate (in heat / estrus). It refers to animals, not humans, and is far more formal/scientific than everyday words like 来例假.

noun
(of animals) estrusheat period

Examples

  • 发情期。
    Zhè zhī māo zhèng zài fā qíng qī qī.
    This cat is in heat.
  • 发情期。
    Dòng wù de fā qíng qī qī tōng cháng hěn duǎn.
    Animals' heat periods are usually very short.
  • 发情期。
    Kē xué jiā yán jiū le hóu zi zài fā qíng qī qī de xíng wéi.
    Scientists studied the behavior of monkeys during estrus.

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.

发情estrus
发fāemit情qíngdesire
动宾Verb + object
期qīperiod

发情 means to show desire, and 期 is the time when that state occurs.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 發; 发 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 发 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (爆发, 出发) it is 發; in others (理发, 头发) it is 髮.

The form 發, which 发 stands for in many words, was originally drawn as a bow firing an arrow.

Open 发 →

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
心心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
青
青qīng情qíng
Same sound today

情 shows 心 (heart) beside 青, which gives the sound. The heart part points to feelings and inner states.

Open 情 →

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
日日rì
Sound part声符shēngfú
其
其qí期qī
Same sound today

The original form paired 其 for its sound with 日 (sun). A related form changed that sun to 月, and this later developed into 期.

Open 期 →
Appears in
Biology

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