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膝盖骨 (xī gài gǔ) — kneecap

Definition

noun
kneecap
Measure word · 块

Examples

  • 膝盖骨。
    Yī shēng jiǎn chá le wǒ de xī gài gǔ.
    The doctor examined my kneecap.
  • 膝盖骨。
    Tā shuāi dǎo shí shuāi shāng le xī gài gǔ.
    He injured his kneecap when he fell.
  • 膝盖骨。
    xī gài gǔ Shì rén tǐ zhōng yí kuài fēi cháng zhòng yào de gǔ tou.
    The kneecap is a very important bone in the human body.

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.

膝盖knee
膝xīknee盖gài
骨gǔbone

膝盖 names the knee, and 骨 means bone; together they name the kneecap.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
⺼Written in full as肉ròumeat, body
Sound part声符shēngfú
桼
桼qī膝xī
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 膝, ⺼ is the body form of 肉, marking a body part, and 桼 gives the sound.

Open 膝 →

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 蓋; 盖 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
艸艸cǎograss
Sound part声符shēngfú
盍
盍hé蓋gài
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 蓋 pairs 艸, grass, with 盍 for sound. It was a thatch, and it took on cover meanings after 盍 was borrowed for “why not”.

Open 盖 →

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
肉肉ròu
Sound part声符shēngfú
冎
冎guǎ骨gǔ
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The older form 冎 drew a bone; 肉, flesh, was added to make 骨.

Open 骨 →
Appears in
Body Parts

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