吞服 (tūn fú) — to swallow (medicine); to take (a pill or liquid medicine) orally

Definition

吞服 means 'to swallow (medicine)' — used specifically for taking pills or liquid medicine by mouth, not for general eating or drinking. Often pairs with 把 in instructions like 请把药丸用水吞服.

verb
to swallow (medicine)to take (a pill or liquid medicine) orally

Examples

  • 吞服。
    Zhè zhǒng yào xū yào měi tiān tūn fú sān cì.
    This medicine needs to be taken three times a day.
  • 吞服。
    Tā tūn fú le yí piàn zhǐ tòng yào.
    He swallowed a painkiller tablet.
  • 吞服。
    Qǐng bǎ yào wán yòng shuǐ tūn fú.
    Please swallow the pill with water.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

吞tūnswallow
服fútake medicine

“吞” is swallow, and “服” is take medicine, so it means taking medicine by mouth.

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 吞 →

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
凡凡fántray
Sound part声符shēngfú
𠬝
𠬝𠬝服fú
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 服, the part 𠬝 was the original picture for 'to subdue'; the added left part 凡, a tray, later changed shape.

Open 服 →

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