TongTong
Sign in

精液 (jīng yè) — seminal fluid; semen

Definition

noun
seminal fluidsemen

Examples

  • 精液。
    Yī shēng zài xiǎn wēi jìng xià fēn xī jīng yè yàng běn.
    The doctor analyzed the semen sample under a microscope.
  • 精液。
    jīng yè Jiǎn chá shì shēng yù néng lì píng gū de yí bù fen.
    Semen analysis is part of fertility assessment.
  • 精液。
    Zhè zhǒng bìng dú kě yǐ tōng guò jīng yè chuán bō.
    This virus can be transmitted through semen.

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.

精jīngessence
液yèfluid

精 names essence and 液 names fluid, together referring to seminal fluid.

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
米米mǐrice
Sound part声符shēngfú
青
青qīng精jīng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

精 pairs 米 (rice) with 青, which gives the sound; the character originally meant polished rice.

Open 精 →

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
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
夜
夜yè液yè
Same sound today

The left side 氵 is water, and the right side 夜 gives the sound; together they form 液, a liquid, like water.

Open 液 →
Appears in
Organs & Anatomy

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.