淋巴细胞 (lín bā xì bāo) — lymphocyte

Definition

noun
lymphocyte
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 淋巴细胞。
    lín bā xì bāo Zài rén tǐ miǎn yì xì tǒng zhōng qǐ zhe guān jiàn zuò yòng.
    Lymphocytes play a key role in the human immune system.
  • 淋巴细胞。
    Yī shēng tōng guò jiǎn chá lín bā xì bāo de shù mù lái pàn duàn huàn zhě de miǎn yì zhuàng tài.
    Doctors assess a patient's immune status by checking the number of lymphocytes.
  • 淋巴细胞,。
    Tā de lín bā xì bāo jì shù dī yú zhèng cháng zhí, xū yào jìn yí bù jiǎn chá.
    His lymphocyte count is below the normal value and requires further examination.

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.

淋巴lymph
细胞cell
细xìsmall胞bāocell
偏正Modifier + head

淋巴 spells lymph, 细胞 means cell, so 淋巴细胞 are cells found in lymph.

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
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
林
林lín淋lín
Same sound today

The left side 氵 is water, and the right side 林 gives the character's sound.

Open 淋 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 巴 →

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 細; 细 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mì
Sound part声符shēngfú
囟
囟xìn細xì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 細 pairs 糸, silk or thread, with 囟 for the sound. The simplified 细 is a later shorthand, and the old right part changed shape.

Open 细 →

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
月Written in full as肉ròuflesh
Sound part声符shēngfú
包
包bāo胞bāo
Same sound today

胞 pairs 月 (flesh) with 包, a shape representing a pregnant figure, to point to the membrane enclosing a fetus.

Open 胞 →

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