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抽筋 (chōu jīn) — to have a cramp (in a muscle)

Definition

A separable verb meaning 'to cramp' — a muscle suddenly tightens on its own, usually in the leg or foot. The 筋 can detach and move before the verb (腿抽了一次筋).

verb
to have a cramp (in a muscle)

Examples

  • 。
    Wǒ yóu yǒng de shí hou tuǐ chōu le yí cì jīn.
    I had a cramp in my leg once while swimming.
  • 抽筋。
    Tā pǎo wán bù xiǎo tuǐ chōu jīn le.
    After running, his calf cramped up.
  • ，抽筋。
    Bié jǐn zhāng, bù rán shǒu huì chōu jīn de.
    Don't be nervous, or your hand will cramp.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

抽chōupull
筋jīntendon

The image of 抽 pulling a 筋 tendon describes a muscle cramp.

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
扌Written in full as手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
由
由yóu抽chōu
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The left part 扌 is the hand form, written in full as 手, and the right part 由 provides the sound.

Open 抽 →

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

筋 pairs 竹 (bamboo) with 𠛧 (peel), giving the idea of sinewy fibers from peeled bamboo.

Open 筋 →
Appears in
Illness & Symptoms

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