官能 (guān néng) — sensory function; sense (as in the five senses)

Definition

Literacy/formal term for a bodily sensory function, as in the five senses (感官). Used in scientific or literary writing rather than daily speech.

noun
sensory functionsense (as in the five senses)

Examples

  • 官能、、、。
    Rén de wǔ zhǒng guān néng bāo kuò shì jué, tīng jué, xiù jué, wèi jué hé chù jué.
    The five human senses include sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch.
  • ，官能。
    Suí zhe nián líng zēng zhǎng, yì xiē guān néng huì zhú jiàn shuāi tuì.
    As we age, some sensory functions gradually decline.
  • 官能。
    Zhè bù xiǎo shuō miáo xiě le zhǔ rén gōng de guān néng tǐ yàn.
    This novel describes the protagonist's sensory experiences.

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.

官guānorgan
能néngfunction

官 refers to organs and 能 to their function, giving sensory function.

Characters in this word

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

  • 宀宀mián
  • 𠂤𠂤𠂤

官 pairs 宀, a roof, with 𠂤, rooms beneath it, to depict an official building.

Open 官 →

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

能 is an old picture of a bear, showing two paws and a face with an open mouth.

Open 能 →

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