宫外孕 (gōng wài yùn) — ectopic pregnancy

Definition

noun
ectopic pregnancy

Examples

  • ，宫外孕。
    Tā yīn wèi fù tòng qù yī yuàn jiǎn chá, jié guǒ shì gōng wài yùn.
    She went to the hospital for abdominal pain, and the result was an ectopic pregnancy.
  • 宫外孕，。
    gōng wài yùn Shì yì zhǒng wēi xiǎn de fù kē jí zhèng, xū yào jí shí zhì liáo.
    An ectopic pregnancy is a dangerous gynecological emergency that requires prompt treatment.
  • 宫外孕，。
    Rú guǒ huái yí shì gōng wài yùn, yī shēng huì lì kè ān pái shǒu shù.
    If an ectopic pregnancy is suspected, the doctor will immediately arrange surgery.

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.

宫外outside the uterus
宫gōnguterus外wàioutside
偏正Modifier + head
孕yùnpregnancy

Pregnancy located outside the uterus names an ectopic pregnancy.

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 宮; 宫 is its simplified writing.

  • 宀宀mián
  • 呂呂lǚ

The traditional form 宮 is built from 宀 and 呂.

Open 宫 →

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
卜卜bǔ
Sound part声符shēngfú
月
月yuè外wài
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

外 pairs 卜 with 月, a crescent moon; in its older form, the 卜 part had a horizontal bar extending outward, giving the sense of outside.

Open 外 →

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

孕 is drawn as a pregnant woman with a fetus.

Open 孕 →

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