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病原体 (bìng yuán tǐ) — pathogen

Definition

noun
pathogen

Examples

  • 病原体。
    bìng yuán tǐ Shì yǐn qǐ jí bìng de wēi shēng wù.
    Pathogens are microorganisms that cause diseases.
  • 病原体。
    Zhè zhǒng bìng yuán tǐ hěn nán xiāo miè.
    This kind of pathogen is very hard to eliminate.
  • 病原体。
    Jiē chù bìng yuán tǐ yào xiǎo xīn.
    Be careful when contacting pathogens.

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.

病原disease cause
病bìngdisease原yuáncause
偏正Modifier + head
体tǐbody

病原体 is a body that causes disease: 病 names disease, 原 names the cause, and 体 names the organism.

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
疒疒nèsickness
Sound part声符shēngfú
丙
丙bǐng病bìng
Same sound today

病 pairs 疒, a sickness mark, with 丙, which gives the sound; 丙 also means fire, giving a picture of lying feverishly in bed.

Open 病 →

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

原 combines 泉 (spring) and 厂 (cliff), picturing a spring bursting from a cliff-side, which gives the sense of origin or source.

Open 原 →

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 體; 体 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
骨骨gǔbone
Sound part声符shēngfú
豊
豊lǐ體tǐ
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 體 pairs 骨 (bone) with 豊 as a sound part; this note is about 體, not about the parts of 体.

Open 体 →
Appears in
BiologyIllness & Symptoms

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