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肿块 (zhǒng kuài) — lump, swelling; (medical) tumor

Definition

A physical lump or swelling under the skin — usually a medical finding (neck, breast, etc.), more clinical than the everyday word 包 (bāo) for a bump. The “tumor” sense here means any abnormal mass, not necessarily cancer.

noun
lumpswelling(medical) tumor
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 肿块。
    Yī shēng fā xiàn tā bó zi shàng yǒu yí gè zhǒng kuài.
    The doctor found a lump on his neck.
  • 肿块。
    Zhè ge zhǒng kuài xū yào zuò jìn yí bù jiǎn chá.
    This lump needs further examination.
  • 肿块，。
    Tā fā xiàn rǔ fáng yǒu zhǒng kuài, mǎ shàng qù le yī yuàn.
    She found a lump in her breast and went to the hospital immediately.

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.

肿zhǒngswollen
块kuàilump

肿块 is a 块 that is 肿, a swollen lump.

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.

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 →

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 塊; 块 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
土土tǔearth; dust
Sound part声符shēngfú
鬼
鬼guǐ塊kuài
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 塊 pairs 土 (earth; dust) with 鬼 as a sound part to show a clod of dirt. The simplified 块 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the historical pieces.

Open 块 →
Appears in
Illness & Symptoms

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