直肠癌 (zhí cháng ái) — rectal cancer

Definition

noun

rectal cancer

直肠癌。
Tā zuì jìn bèi zhěn duàn chū huàn yǒu zhí cháng ái.
He was recently diagnosed with rectal cancer.
直肠癌。
Zǎo qī fā xiàn zhí cháng ái kě yǐ dà dà tí gāo zhì yù lǜ.
Early detection of rectal cancer can greatly improve the cure rate.
直肠癌。
Yī shēng jiàn yì tā zuò zhí cháng ái shǒu shù.
The doctor recommended he undergo surgery for rectal cancer.

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.

直肠rectum

直zhístraight肠chángintestine

偏正Modifier + head

直肠 means 'straight intestine' and 癌 means 'cancer', together naming rectal cancer.

Characters in this word

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

The earliest form of 直 pairs 目, an eye, with an unclear stroke 丨.

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 腸; 肠 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

昜

昜yáng腸cháng

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

The traditional form 腸 pairs 肉, the body, with 昜, which gives the sound; the simplified 肠 is a later shorthand.

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

疒嵒癌

Meaning part形符xíngfú

疒疒nèdisease

Sound part声符shēngfú

嵒

嵒yán癌

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

癌 combines 疒 (disease) with 嵒, a component used for its sound.