整形术 (zhěng xíng shù) — plastic surgery (medical procedure) | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Formal medical term for plastic/cosmetic surgery, covering both cosmetic (美容) and reconstructive (修复) procedures. In everyday speech 整容 is more common for the cosmetic side.

noun

plastic surgery (medical procedure)

Measure word · 项

Examples

整形术。
Tā jué dìng zuò zhěng xíng shù lái gǎi shàn bí zi de xíng zhuàng.
She decided to get plastic surgery to improve the shape of her nose.
整形术。
zhěng xíng shù Zài yī xué shàng fēn wéi měi róng hé xiū fù liǎng zhǒng.
Plastic surgery is divided into cosmetic and reconstructive types in medicine.
整形术。
Zhè wèi yī shēng shì zhěng xíng shù lǐng yù de zhuān jiā.
This doctor is an expert in the field of plastic surgery.

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.

整形reshape

整zhěngadjust形xíngform

动宾Verb + object

术shùtechnique

整形 reshapes a form, and 术 is a technique, so 整形术 is a surgery for reshaping.

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.

敕正整

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

正

正zhèng整zhěng

Same sound today

整 pairs 敕 as the meaning side with 正 as the sound side.

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

彡彡shān

Sound part声符shēngfú

井

井jǐng形xíng

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

形 is made from 彡 and 井, with 井 providing 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 術; 术 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

行行xíngstreet, path

Sound part声符shēngfú

朮

朮zhú術shù

Same sound today

The traditional form 術 has 行 (street, path) beside 朮, which gives the sound; the simplified 术 is a later shorthand.

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