肺脏 (fèi zàng) — lungs (internal organ)

Definition

noun

lungs (internal organ)

Measure word · 个

肺脏。
Xī yān duì fèi zàng de shāng hài hěn dà.
Smoking does great harm to the lungs.
肺脏，。
Yī shēng jiǎn chá le tā de fèi zàng, shuō méi yǒu wèn tí.
The doctor examined his lungs and said there was no problem.
肺脏。
Kōng qì wū rǎn huì yǐng xiǎng fèi zàng de jiàn kāng.
Air pollution can affect the health of the lungs.

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 (lung) identifies the 脏 (organ) named.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 髒; 脏 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 脏 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (心脏) it is 臟; in others (脏) it is 髒.

骨葬髒

Meaning part形符xíngfú

骨骨gǔbone

Sound part声符shēngfú

葬

Same sound today

The traditional form 髒 combines 骨 (bone) with 葬 (zàng) for the sound.