肺气肿 (fèi qì zhǒng) — pulmonary emphysema

Definition

noun
pulmonary emphysema

Examples

  • 肺气肿。
    Cháng qī xī yān róng yì dǎo zhì fèi qì zhǒng.
    Long-term smoking can easily lead to pulmonary emphysema.
  • 肺气肿，。
    Yī shēng shuō tā dé le fèi qì zhǒng, xū yào zhù yuàn zhì liáo.
    The doctor said he has pulmonary emphysema and needs hospitalization.
  • 肺气肿。
    fèi qì zhǒng Huàn zhě yào zhù yì hū xī duàn liàn.
    Patients with pulmonary emphysema should pay attention to breathing exercises.

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.

肺fèilung
气肿air swelling
气qìair肿zhǒngswelling
偏正Modifier + head

肺 means lung, 气 means air, and 肿 means swelling, denoting swelling caused by air in the lungs.

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
⺼Written in full as肉ròumeat; flesh
Sound part声符shēngfú
巿
巿fú肺fèi
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

肺 combines ⺼, a form of 肉 meaning flesh, with 巿 for the sound.

Open 肺 →

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 氣; 气 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
米米mǐrice
Sound part声符shēngfú
气
气qì氣qì
Same sound today

The traditional form 氣 pairs 米 (rice) with 气, which supplies the sound; the simplified 气 is a later abbreviation.

Open 气 →

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 腫; 肿 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
肉肉ròumeat, flesh
Sound part声符shēngfú
重
重zhòng腫zhǒng
Same sound today

The traditional form 腫 combines 肉 (flesh) with 重 as a sound part; the simplified 肿 is a later shorthand.

Open 肿 →

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