肺活量 (fèi huó liáng) — lung capacity

Definition

noun

lung capacity

肺活量。
Yī shēng shuō wǒ fèi huó liáng hěn hǎo.
The doctor said my lung capacity is very good.
肺活量。
Yóu yǒng kě yǐ zēng jiā fèi huó liáng.
Swimming can increase lung capacity.
肺活量。
Tā de fèi huó liáng bǐ pǔ tōng rén yào dà.
His lung capacity is larger than ordinary people.

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.

活量vital capacity

偏正Modifier + head

肺 is the lung, 活 is vital, and 量 is capacity, together giving lung capacity.

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.

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

𠯑

𠯑𠯑活huó

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

活 is built from 氵 (water) and 𠯑, which shows the sound; 𠯑 later changed into 舌.

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

量 has 日 (sun) over 東 (bag; east). Some explanations suggest measuring under the sun or the sun rising in the east, but the exact origin is unclear.