疼痛 (téng tòng) — painful, sore (of a body part or a person)

Definition

Formal/written word for 'painful' (body part, injury, or condition). More emphatic than everyday 疼, and more clinical than 痛苦 ('suffering', which is both physical and emotional).

adjective
painfulsore (of a body part or a person)

Examples

  • 疼痛
    Wǒ de hòu bèi hěn téng tòng.
    My back is very painful.
  • 疼痛
    Xī gài yǒu xiē téng tòng, kě néng shì yùn dòng guò dù le.
    My knee is a bit sore; maybe I exercised too much.
  • 疼痛
    téng tòng De bù wèi xū yào hǎo hǎo xiū xi.
    The painful area needs a good rest.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

疼 and 痛 combine, both pointing to pain or soreness.

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

疼 pairs 疒, a sickness marker, with 冬, which supplies the sound.

Open 疼 →

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

The 疒 part means illness, and 甬 gives the sound; together they form 痛, meaning pain or hurt.

Open 痛 →

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