微血管 (wēi xuè guǎn) — blood capillary

Definition

noun
blood capillary
Measure word · 根

Examples

  • 微血管。
    Yī shēng yòng xiǎn wēi jìng guān chá wēi xuè guǎn.
    The doctor observed the blood capillaries with a microscope.
  • 微血管。
    Yùn dòng kě yǐ zēng jiā wēi xuè guǎn de shù liàng.
    Exercise can increase the number of blood capillaries.
  • 微血管。
    wēi xuè guǎn Pò liè huì dǎo zhì pí fū chū xiàn hóng diǎn.
    A ruptured blood capillary can cause red spots on the skin.

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.

微wēimicro
血管blood vessel
血xuèblood管guǎntube
偏正Modifier + head

“微” means tiny, “血管” means blood vessel; together they are tiny blood vessels.

Characters in this word

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

The old form showed 𡵂 (a variant of 美, a person with long hair) and 攵 (a hand with a tool) splitting or combing hairs, hence minute; 微 later added 彳 to emphasize action.

Open 微 →

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

  • 一一yīdrop of blood
  • 皿皿mǐncontainer

The shape shows 一, a drop of blood, inside 皿, a container, for blood held in a sacrificial vessel.

Open 血 →

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
竹竹zhúbamboo
Sound part声符shēngfú
官
官guān管guǎn
Same sound today

管 has 竹 (bamboo) on top to show it relates to bamboo, and 官 gives its sound.

Open 管 →

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