神经细胞 (shén jīng xì bāo) — nerve cell; neuron | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

nerve cellneuron

Measure word · 个

Examples

神经细胞。
shén jīng xì bāo Shì shén jīng xì tǒng de jī běn dān wèi.
Nerve cells are the basic units of the nervous system.
神经细胞。
Rén tǐ zhōng yǒu shù yǐ yì jì de shén jīng xì bāo.
There are hundreds of millions of nerve cells in the human body.
神经细胞。
shén jīng xì bāo Sǔn shāng hòu hěn nán zài shēng.
Nerve cells are difficult to regenerate after injury.

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.

神经nerve

神shénspirit经jīngmeridian

偏正Modifier + head

细胞cell

细xìfine胞bāocell

偏正Modifier + head

神经 gives nerve and 细胞 gives cell, together naming a nerve cell.

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.

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 細; 细 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

糸糸mì

Sound part声符shēngfú

囟

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

The traditional form 細 pairs 糸, silk or thread, with 囟 for the sound. The simplified 细 is a later shorthand, and the old right part changed shape.

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

月包胞

Meaning part形符xíngfú

月Written in full as肉ròuflesh

Sound part声符shēngfú

包

包bāo胞bāo

Same sound today

胞 pairs 月 (flesh) with 包, a shape representing a pregnant figure, to point to the membrane enclosing a fetus.

Appears in

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