止痒 (zhǐ yǎng) — to stop or relieve itching

Definition

Literally 'stop itching' — used for products, remedies, or actions that relieve itchiness. Not a near-synonym of any curriculum word, so just learn the verb-object structure as a set phrase.

verb
to stop or relieve itching

Examples

  • 止痒。
    Zhè zhǒng yào gāo kě yǐ zhǐ yǎng.
    This type of ointment can relieve itching.
  • ，。
    Tú le zhī hòu, tā lì jí zhǐ zhù le wǒ shǒu shàng de yǎng.
    After applying it, it immediately stopped the itch on my hand.
  • 止痒。
    Wén zi yǎo le hěn nán zhǐ yǎng.
    Mosquito bites are hard to stop itching.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

止zhǐstop
痒yǎngitch

To 止 the 痒 is to stop itching.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

止 was drawn as a footprint pointing up, with three toes and a sole, originally showing a foot.

Open 止 →

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
疒疒nèillness
Sound part声符shēngfú
羊
羊yáng痒yǎng
Same sound today

痒 is built from 疒, showing illness, and 羊, which gives its sound.

Open 痒 →

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