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寄生虫 (jì shēng chóng) — parasite (organism); (figurative) parasite (person who lives off others)

Definition

A noun covering both meanings: a literal parasite (organism living on/in a host) and a figurative "parasite" for a person who lives off others. Context — biology vs social criticism — makes the meaning clear.

noun
parasite (organism)(figurative) parasite (person who lives off others)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 寄生虫。
    Zhè zhǒng jì shēng chóng shēng huó zài dòng wù de cháng dào lǐ.
    This kind of parasite lives in the intestines of animals.
  • ，寄生虫。
    Tā zhěng tiān bù gōng zuò, xiàng gè jì shēng chóng yí yàng kào fù mǔ yǎng huó.
    He doesn't work all day, living off his parents like a parasite.
  • 寄生虫，。
    Yī shēng shuō tā tǐ nèi yǒu jì shēng chóng, xū yào chī yào zhì liáo.
    The doctor said there are parasites in his body and he needs medication.

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.

寄生live attached
寄jìattach生shēnglive
偏正Modifier + head
虫chóngcreature

The sense of 寄 (attach) and 生 (live) with 虫 (creature) gives a creature that lives attached to another.

Characters in this word

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
宀宀miánhouse
Sound part声符shēngfú
奇
奇qí寄jì
Same sound today

The 宀 part shows a roof, and 奇 gives the sound. Together they point to staying or lodging away from home.

Open 寄 →

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

生 shows 屮 (a bud) above 一 (the ground), drawing a sprout coming up from the earth.

Open 生 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 蟲; 虫 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 蟲 is the one the reference discusses; 虫 is also a traditional character on its own.

Open 虫 →
Appears in
Biology

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