扎针 (zhā zhēn) — to give or receive acupuncture treatment | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Literally 'poke needles,' this everyday verb covers both giving and receiving acupuncture. It splits as a 离合词: 我要扎针 / 我扎了三次针 (not *扎针了*).

verb

to give or receive acupuncture treatment

Examples

扎针。
Tā měi zhōu zhā zhēn yí cì.
He gets acupuncture once a week.
，。
Wǒ zhā le sān cì zhēn, gǎn jué hǎo duō le.
I had acupuncture three times and feel much better.
扎针。
Yī shēng gěi tā zhā zhēn zhì liáo yāo tòng.
The doctor gave him acupuncture to treat his back pain.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

扎 means to insert or prick, and 针 is the needle being inserted.

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

Sound part声符shēngfú

乙

乙yǐ扎zhā

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

扎 is built from 手 (hand) and 乙, which gives the sound.

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 針; 针 is its simplified writing.

釒十針

Meaning part形符xíngfú

釒Written in full as金jīnmetal

Sound part声符shēngfú

十

十shí針zhēn

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 針 puts 釒, the metal side, beside 十, which gives the sound; 针 is a simplified shorthand.

Appears in

Medicine & Treatment Traditional Medicine & Philosophy

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