岔气 (chà qì) — (v.o.) to get a stitch in one's side (from phys…

Definition

Refers to a sudden sharp pain in the side caused by strenuous activity or laughing — a 'stitch' or side cramp, not a chest or heart problem.

verb

(v.o.) to get a stitch in one's side (from physical activity)

岔气。
Pǎo dé tài kuài róng yì chà qì.
Running too fast easily gives you a stitch.
，岔气。
Wǒ xiào dé tài lì hài, chà qì le.
I laughed so hard I got a stitch.
，。
Tā yóu yǒng shí chà guò yí cì qì, xiàn zài hěn xiǎo xīn.
He once got a stitch while swimming, so now he's very careful.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

岔 suggests something diverted and 气 means breath, so breath getting twisted and causing pain.

Characters in this word

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

分山岔

岔 combines 分 (split; division) and 山 (mountain), showing a mountain divided into branches.

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 氣; 气 is its simplified writing.

气米氣

Meaning part形符xíngfú

米米mǐrice

Sound part声符shēngfú

气

Same sound today

The traditional form 氣 pairs 米 (rice) with 气, which supplies the sound; the simplified 气 is a later abbreviation.