干扰素 (gān rǎo sù) — interferon

Definition

A protein the body releases to block viruses; used as a medicine (e.g. 干扰素治疗). 干扰 means 'to interfere', 素 here marks it as a substance (like 元素, 因素).

noun
interferon

Examples

  • 干扰素。
    Yī shēng yòng gān rǎo sù lái zhì liáo bìng dú gǎn rǎn.
    Doctors use interferon to treat viral infections.
  • 干扰素。
    gān rǎo sù Shì yì zhǒng zhòng yào de dàn bái zhì.
    Interferon is an important type of protein.
  • 干扰素。
    Kē xué jiā zhèng zài yán jiū gān rǎo sù de zuò yòng jī zhì.
    Scientists are researching the mechanism of action of interferon.

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.

干扰interfere
干gāndisturb扰rǎodisturb
联合Side by side
素sùsubstance

干 and 扰 both convey disturbance, and 素 names a substance, so an interfering substance.

Characters in this word

The simplified 干 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (饼干, 干杯) it is 乾; in others (干, 干活儿) (干扰) it is 幹 or 干.

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 乾; 干 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
乙乙yǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
倝
倝gàn乾gān
Same sound today
Open 干 →

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 擾; 扰 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
手手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
夒
夒náo擾rǎo
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 擾 combines 手 (hand) with 夒, a sound part; the simplified 扰 is a later shorthand, so its visible pieces are not the historical parts.

Open 扰 →

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

The shape of 素 came from a picture of hands braiding thread.

Open 素 →

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