(zhǒng) — to swell; to be swollen

Definition

Used for medical/bodily swelling (脚肿了, 脸肿). Unlike 胀 or 涨, 肿 focuses on tissue puffiness from injury or illness, not bloating or expansion.

verb
to swellto be swollen

Examples

  • Wǒ de jiǎo zhǒng le, kě néng shì yīn wèi zhàn tài jiǔ le.
    My feet are swollen, maybe because I stood too long.
  • Tā de liǎn zhǒng dé lì hài, xū yào qù kàn yī shēng.
    His face is so swollen that he needs to see a doctor.
  • Shāng kǒu zhǒng qǐ lái le, kàn qǐ lái hěn yán zhòng.
    The wound has swollen up, and it looks quite serious.

Origin

Sound + meaning
六书liùshū
形声xíngshēng

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
ròumeat, flesh
Sound part声符shēngfú
zhòngzhǒng
Same sound today

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

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