肠 (cháng) — intestines
Definition
Anatomical term for 'intestines,' rarely used alone — it almost always appears with a suffix like 肠道 (intestinal tract) or as the colloquial 肠子. Don't confuse with 香肠, which means 'sausage.'
noun
intestines
Measure word · 条
Examples
- ，。Wǒ dù zi téng, kě néng shì cháng zi chū le wèn tí.I have a stomachache; maybe there's a problem with my intestines.
- ，。Yī shēng shuō yào bǎo chí cháng dào jiàn kāng, duō chī shū cài.The doctor said to keep the intestinal tract healthy by eating more vegetables.
- ，。Wǒ nǎi nai cháng zi bù hǎo, bù néng chī yóu nì de dōng xī.My grandmother has a weak digestive system and can't eat greasy food.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost 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.
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.
Appears in
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