接骨 (jiē gū) — to set a bone; to reduce a fracture

Definition

A medical term meaning to set a bone / reduce a fracture. The verb 接 is used here in the sense of 'join/reconnect'; 接骨 is the standard clinical term, not an everyday phrase.

verb
to set a boneto reduce a fracture

Examples

  • 接骨。
    Zhè wèi lǎo zhōng yī shàn cháng jiē gū.
    This old Chinese medicine doctor is good at setting bones.
  • ，。
    Tā shàng cì shuāi duàn le gē bo, qù yī yuàn jiē le yí cì gǔ.
    He broke his arm last time and went to the hospital to have it set once.
  • 。
    Yī shēng hěn kuài jiù bǎ tā de gǔ jiē hǎo le.
    The doctor quickly set his bone.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

接jiējoin
骨gǔbone

接 means to join, and 骨 names the bone being set.

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shǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
妾
妾qiè接jiē
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The left part 扌 shows a hand, matching the sense of receiving something in the hand, while 妾 gives the character its sound.

Open 接 →

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
肉肉ròu
Sound part声符shēngfú
冎
冎guǎ骨gǔ
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The older form 冎 drew a bone; 肉, flesh, was added to make 骨.

Open 骨 →

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