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放血 (fàng xuè) — (verb-object) to let blood, to bleed (medically or in butchery); (slang) to stab someone, to draw blood in a violent attack

Definition

A verb-object phrase: literally 'let/release blood.' The medical/butchery sense (放血治疗 bloodletting) is the standard one; the slang sense means to stab or slash someone to draw blood.

verb
(verb-object) to let bloodto bleed (medically or in butchery)(slang) to stab someone, to draw blood in a violent attack

Examples

  • 。
    Yī shēng yòng zhēn gěi tā fàng le yí cì xuè.
    The doctor used a needle to let some blood from him.
  • 放血。
    Nà ge hēi bāng jīng cháng yòng fàng xuè lái wēi xié rén.
    That gang often uses stabbing to threaten people.
  • 放血。
    Zhè zhǒng bìng xū yào fàng xuè zhì liáo.
    This disease requires bloodletting therapy.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

放fànglet out
血xuèblood

In 放血, 放 lets out 血, meaning to draw or let blood.

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
攵Written in full as攴pūhand, action
Sound part声符shēngfú
方
方fāng放fàng
Same sound today

放 uses 方 for its sound and 攵, a hand/action part, to mark an action of release.

Open 放 →

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 →
Appears in
Injury & DisabilityMedicine & Treatment

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