瘫痪 (tān huàn) — to be paralyzed (of a body part due to nerve damage); to be paralyzed; to be brought to a standstill (of transportation, networks, systems)

Definition

瘫痪 (tānhuàn) means 'paralyzed' — the body (nerve damage) or systems/transport (figurative standstill). Closer to 麻痹's medical sense than to 瘫, which adds a colloquial 'exhausted/collapsed' use as a 累-complement.

verb
to be paralyzed (of a body part due to nerve damage)to be paralyzedto be brought to a standstill (of transportation, networks, systems)

Examples

  • 瘫痪。
    Tā yīn chē huò dǎo zhì zuǒ tuǐ tān huàn le.
    He became paralyzed in his left leg due to a car accident.
  • 瘫痪。
    Lián rì dà xuě ràng chéng shì jiāo tōng wán quán tān huàn le.
    Days of heavy snow completely paralyzed the city's transportation.
  • 瘫痪，。
    Fú wù qì tān huàn le, gōng sī suǒ yǒu yè wù dōu tíng le.
    The server went down (was paralyzed), and all the company's operations stopped.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

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

瘫tānparalysis
痪huànparalysis

瘫痪 pairs 瘫 with 痪, both referring to paralysis, giving the sense of loss of movement or a standstill.

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 癱; 瘫 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
疒疒nè
Sound part声符shēngfú
難
難nán癱tān
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 癱 pairs 疒, an illness part, with 難 as a sound part; this story is about 癱, not the simplified 瘫.

Open 瘫 →

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 瘓; 痪 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
疒疒nè
Sound part声符shēngfú
奐
奐huàn瘓
Same sound today

The traditional form 瘓 combines 疒 (illness) with 奐 (the sound); the simplified 痪 is a later shorthand.

Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6Illness & Symptoms

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