脾 (pí) — spleen | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

An anatomical organ, the spleen. Don't confuse with 脾气 (temper) — same character, very different word.

noun

spleen

Easily confused

脾。
Yī shēng jiàn yì tā jiǎn chá yí xià pí de gōng néng.
The doctor suggested he have his spleen function checked.
脾。
Zhōng yī rèn wéi pí yǔ xiāo huà xì tǒng mì qiè xiāng guān.
Traditional Chinese medicine believes the spleen is closely related to the digestive system.
。
Tā de pí zàng zài shì gù zhōng shòu dào le sǔn shāng.
His spleen was injured in the accident.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

⺼Written in full as肉ròuorgan

Sound part声符shēngfú

卑

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

脾 uses ⺼ (a form of 肉, organ) for the meaning and 卑 for the sound.

Appears in