性高潮 (xìng gāo cháo) — orgasm; climax

Definition

noun
orgasmclimax

Examples

  • 性高潮
    Tā cóng wèi tǐ yàn guò xìng gāo cháo.
    She has never experienced an orgasm.
  • 性高潮
    xìng gāo cháo Shì xìng huó dòng zhōng de zì rán fǎn yìng.
    An orgasm is a natural response during sexual activity.
  • 性高潮
    Xǔ duō nǚ xìng zài xìng shēng huó zhōng nán yǐ dá dào xìng gāo cháo.
    Many women find it difficult to achieve an orgasm during sex.

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.

xìngsexual
高潮climax
偏正Modifier + head

The 性 (sexual) and 高潮 (climax) mean a sexual climax.

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
Written in full asxīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
shēngxìng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

性 is built from 忄 (the heart) and 生 (a sound clue). The heart part connects the word to a person's inner nature or quality.

Open 性 →

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

高 was drawn as a tall building.

Open 高 →

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
Written in full asshuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
cháocháo
Same sound today

潮 has 氵, the water form 水, on the left to show a water connection, with 朝 on the right giving the sound.

Open 潮 →

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