神经 (shén jīng) — (noun) nerve (in anatomy); (noun, figurative) n… | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Literally 'nerve' (the anatomical kind), and by extension your 'nerves' or mental state — calling someone 神经 in casual speech means they're a nutjob. Compare 精神, which refers to spirit or mental state more broadly without the slang edge.

noun

nerve (in anatomy)(noun, figurative) nervesmental state(colloquial, noun) a crazy personnutjob

Measure word · 根

Examples

神经。
Téng tòng xìn hào tōng guò shén jīng chuán dào dà nǎo.
Pain signals are transmitted to the brain through nerves.
，神经。
Tā zuì jìn yā lì dà, shén jīng hěn jǐn zhāng.
He's been under a lot of pressure lately, and his nerves are very tense.
，神经。
Tā jū rán zuò chū zhè zhǒng shì, zhēn shì gè shén jīng.
He actually did something like this — what a nutjob.

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.

经jīngchannel

Channels 经 linked with spirit 神 came to name nerves.

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

示示shìgod; deity

Sound part声符shēngfú

申

申shēn神shén

Same sound today

The older form 申 drew lightning, which the ancients regarded as divine; 神 adds 示 (god/deity) to mark that meaning.

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 經; 经 is its simplified writing.

糹巠經

Meaning part形符xíngfú

糹Written in full as糸mìsilk; thread

Sound part声符shēngfú

巠

巠jīng經jīng

Same sound today

The traditional form 經 combines 糹 (silk; thread) with 巠, which gives the sound.

Appears in

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