听诊器 (tīng zhěn qì) — stethoscope | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

stethoscope

Measure word · 个

听诊器。
Yī shēng yòng tīng zhěn qì jiǎn chá bìng rén de xīn zàng.
The doctor uses a stethoscope to examine the patient's heart.
听诊器，。
Tā ná qǐ tīng zhěn qì, zǐ xì tīng bìng rén de hū xī shēng.
He picked up the stethoscope and listened carefully to the patient's breathing.
听诊器，。
Zhè ge tīng zhěn qì zhì liàng hěn hǎo, tīng dé hěn qīng chǔ.
This stethoscope is of good quality and hears very clearly.

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.

听诊auscultation

偏正Modifier + head

器qìinstrument

“听” and “诊” describe listening to diagnose, and “器” names the instrument.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 聽; 听 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 聽 has 耳 (ear) and 口 (mouth), used for listening; the simplified 听 is a later shortened form unrelated to that picture.

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 診; 诊 is its simplified writing.

言㐱診

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

㐱

㐱㐱診zhěn

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

In the traditional form 診, the left part 言 relates to speech, and the right part 㐱 gives the sound; the simplified 诊 is a later shorthand.

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

The origin of 器 is uncertain; one traditional account reads the whole shape as a scene of guarding over four vessels.

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