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早产 (zǎo chǎn) — premature birth

Definition

A medical term for a baby born before the normal term, requiring special care. Used as a set phrase modifying a noun (e.g. 早产婴儿) rather than as a stand-alone event noun.

noun
premature birth

Examples

  • 早产。
    Tā de zǎo chǎn yīng ér zài yī yuàn zhù le liǎng gè yuè.
    Her premature baby stayed in the hospital for two months.
  • 早产。
    zǎo chǎn Shì yì zhǒng xū yào tè bié zhào gù de qíng kuàng.
    Premature birth is a situation that requires special care.
  • ，早产。
    Yī shēng jiàn yì tā hǎo hǎo xiū xi, fáng zhǐ zǎo chǎn.
    The doctor advised her to rest well to prevent premature birth.

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.

早zǎoearly
产chǎnbirth

早 means early or premature, and 产 means birth, giving a birth that comes too early.

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
日日rìsun
Sound part声符shēngfú
棗
棗zǎo早zǎo
Same sound today

The form 早 pairs 日 (sun) with 棗, which gives the sound; an earlier shape of 早 was a picture of an acorn.

Open 早 →

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 產; 产 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
生生shēngto be born
Sound part声符shēngfú
彥
彥yàn產chǎn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 產 pairs 生, "to be born," with 彥 as a sound part; the simplified 产 is a shorthand.

Open 产 →
Appears in
Hospital & ClinicLife Stages & Age

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