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核磁共振 (hé cí gòng zhèn) — nuclear magnetic resonance

Definition

A physics/chemistry term for the resonance phenomenon of atomic nuclei in a magnetic field; in everyday medical use it is short for MRI scans (核磁共振检查). Domain-specific terminology, not used in casual conversation.

noun
nuclear magnetic resonance

Examples

  • 核磁共振。
    Yī shēng jiàn yì wǒ zuò yí cì hé cí gòng zhèn jiǎn chá.
    The doctor recommended I have an MRI scan.
  • 核磁共振。
    hé cí gòng zhèn Jì shù zài yī xué zhěn duàn zhōng fēi cháng zhòng yào.
    NMR technology is very important in medical diagnosis.
  • 核磁共振。
    Kē xué jiā lì yòng hé cí gòng zhèn yán jiū fēn zǐ jié gòu.
    Scientists use NMR to study molecular structures.

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.

核磁nuclear magnetic
核hénucleus磁címagnetic
偏正Modifier + head
共振resonance
共gòngsame frequency振zhènoscillation
偏正Modifier + head

核磁 points to magnetic nuclei, and 共振 names resonance; together they label nuclear magnetic resonance.

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
木木mùtree
Sound part声符shēngfú
亥
亥hài核hé
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

核 pairs 木, a tree, with 亥 to give its sound; it originally named a kind of tree, and its later meanings are borrowed.

Open 核 →

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
石石shírock; stone
Sound part声符shēngfú
兹
兹zī磁cí
Same sound today

磁 is built from 石, meaning rock or stone, and 兹, which gives the sound.

Open 磁 →

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

  • 廾廾gǒngtwo hands
  • 口口kǒuan object

共 shows 廾, two hands, holding up an object. That object was written 口 and later became the 廿-like top.

Open 共 →

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
手手shǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
辰
辰chén振zhèn
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

振 pairs 手 (hand) with 辰: 手 shows it is about a hand action, and 辰 gives the sound.

Open 振 →
Appears in
Medicine & TreatmentPhysics & Chemistry

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