脑瘫 (nǎo tān) — cerebral palsy

Definition

noun
cerebral palsy

Examples

  • 脑瘫，。
    Zhè ge hái zi huàn yǒu nǎo tān, xū yào cháng qī kāng fù xùn liàn.
    This child has cerebral palsy and needs long-term rehabilitation training.
  • 脑瘫。
    nǎo tān Huàn zhě kě yǐ tōng guò wù lǐ zhì liáo gǎi shàn yùn dòng néng lì.
    Patients with cerebral palsy can improve their motor skills through physical therapy.
  • 脑瘫。
    Zǎo qī gān yù duì nǎo tān de zhì liáo fēi cháng zhòng yào.
    Early intervention is very important for the treatment of cerebral palsy.

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.

脑nǎobrain
瘫tānparalysis

脑 (brain) and 瘫 (paralysis) combine to name cerebral palsy.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 腦; 脑 is its simplified writing.

  • 匕匕bǐ
  • 巛巛chuānhair
  • 囟囟xìnhead; fontanel

In the traditional form 腦, the older part 匕 was replaced by a flesh part, while 巛 (hair) and 囟 (head; fontanel) stayed. The simplified 脑 is a later abbreviation.

Open 脑 →

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 癱; 瘫 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
疒疒nè
Sound part声符shēngfú
難
難nán癱tān
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 癱 pairs 疒, an illness part, with 難 as a sound part; this story is about 癱, not the simplified 瘫.

Open 瘫 →

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