巡诊 (xún zhěn) — to make the rounds (of patients, in a hospital or clinic)

Definition

Means a doctor making bedside rounds — going from patient to patient in a ward to check on them. Distinct from 出诊, which is a doctor traveling to see patients at other locations.

verb
to make the rounds (of patients, in a hospital or clinic)

Examples

  • 巡诊。
    Yī shēng měi tiān zǎo shàng dōu yào xún zhěn.
    Doctors make rounds every morning.
  • 巡诊。
    Hù shi gēn zhe zhǔ rèn yì qǐ xún zhěn.
    The nurse follows the director on rounds.
  • 巡诊，。
    xún zhěn De shí hou, yī shēng huì jiǎn chá bìng rén de qíng kuàng.
    When making rounds, the doctor checks the patient's condition.

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.

巡xúnpatrol or go around
诊zhěndiagnose

巡 describes going around, and 诊 is the medical examination; together they mean making the rounds to diagnose.

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
辵辵chuòwalk
Sound part声符shēngfú
川
川chuān巡xún
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

巡 pairs 辵, a walking part, with 川 as a sound part.

Open 巡 →

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yán
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.

Open 诊 →

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