爱滋病 (ài zī bìng) — AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome)

Definition

爱滋病 (ài zī bìng) is a variant name for AIDS, far less common today than the standard 艾滋病. Learners should recognize it in older texts but use 艾滋病 in modern usage.

noun

AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome)

Examples

爱滋病。
Tā qù nián bèi chá chū dé le ài zī bìng.
He was found to have AIDS last year.
爱滋病。
ài zī bìng Shì yì zhǒng yán zhòng de miǎn yì xì tǒng jí bìng.
AIDS is a serious immune system disease.
爱滋病。
Quán qiú dōu zài nǔ lì fáng zhì ài zī bìng.
The world is working hard to prevent and treat AIDS.

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.

爱滋AIDS

爱ài滋zī

音译Transliteration

病bìngdisease

爱滋 spells the loan name AIDS, and 病 means disease.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 愛; 爱 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

心心xīnheart

Sound part声符shēngfú

旡

旡jì愛ài

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

For the traditional form 愛, an older shape paired 心 (heart) with 旡 as its sound part; later a foot-like 夊 was added below. The simplified 爱 is a later variant that replaces the lower part with 友.

Open 爱 →

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

水水shuǐ

Sound part声符shēngfú

茲

茲zī滋zī

Same sound today

滋 pairs 水 (water) with 茲, which gives it its sound.

Open 滋 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

疒丙病