肾 (shèn) — kidney
Definition
noun
kidney
Measure word · 个
Examples
- 肾。Tā de shèn shì mā ma juān de.His kidney was donated by his mother.
- 肾？shèn Bù hǎo de rén yào shǎo hē shuǐ ma?Should people with bad kidneys drink less water?
- 肾？Qiē chú yí gè shèn huì yǐng xiǎng shēng huó ma?Will removing one kidney affect daily life?
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 腎; 肾 is its simplified writing.
Sound part声符shēngfú
臤
臤qiān腎shèn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
The traditional form 腎 pairs ⺼ (flesh) with 臤 as a sound hint, and it names a body part, the kidneys. The simplified 肾 is a later shorthand.
Appears in
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