肠梗阻 (cháng gěng zǔ) — intestinal obstruction

Definition

noun
intestinal obstruction

Examples

  • 肠梗阻，。
    Bìng rén bèi zhěn duàn wèi cháng gěng zǔ, xū yào lì jí shǒu shù.
    The patient was diagnosed with intestinal obstruction and needs immediate surgery.
  • 肠梗阻。
    cháng gěng zǔ Huì yǐn qǐ jù liè fù tòng hé ǒu tù.
    Intestinal obstruction can cause severe abdominal pain and vomiting.
  • CT肠梗阻。
    Yī shēng yòng CT jiǎn chá shì fǒu yǒu cháng gěng zǔ.
    The doctor uses a CT scan to check for intestinal obstruction.

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.

肠chángintestine
梗阻obstruction
梗gěngblock阻zǔblock
联合Side by side

肠 names the intestine, while 梗 and 阻 both carry the idea of blocking; together they denote intestinal obstruction.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 腸; 肠 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
肉肉ròubody
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.

Open 肠 →

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
木木mù
Sound part声符shēngfú
更
更gèng梗gěng(r)
Same sound today

梗 has 木 on the left and 更 on the right. The 木 side shows it was a type of plant, while 更 gives the sound.

Open 梗 →

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
阝Written in full as阜fù
Sound part声符shēngfú
且
且qiě阻zǔ
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

阻 is built from 阝 (written in full as 阜) on the left and 且 on the right, which gives the sound.

Open 阻 →

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