艾滋病毒 (ài zī bìng dú) — HIV (human immunodeficiency virus); the AIDS vi… | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

HIV (human immunodeficiency virus)the AIDS virus

Examples

艾滋病毒。
Tā gǎn rǎn le ài zī bìng dú.
He was infected with HIV.
艾滋病毒。
ài zī bìng dú Shì yì zhǒng wēi xiǎn de bìng dú.
HIV is a dangerous virus.
艾滋病毒。
Yī shēng zhèng zài yán jiū zhì liáo ài zī bìng dú de fāng fǎ.
Doctors are researching treatments for HIV.

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.

艾滋AIDS

病毒virus

病bìngdisease毒dúpoison

偏正Modifier + head

艾滋 spells AIDS, and 病 plus 毒 give virus; together it names the AIDS virus.

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

艸艸cǎograss

Sound part声符shēngfú

乂

乂yì艾ài

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

艾 has 艸, a grass sign, on top and 乂 below to give its sound.

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

Sound part声符shēngfú

茲

茲zī滋zī

Same sound today

滋 pairs 水 (water) with 茲, which gives it its sound.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

疒丙病

Meaning part形符xíngfú

疒疒nèsickness

Sound part声符shēngfú

丙

丙bǐng病bìng

Same sound today

病 pairs 疒, a sickness mark, with 丙, which gives the sound; 丙 also means fire, giving a picture of lying feverishly in bed.

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

屮屮chèvegetation

Sound part声符shēngfú

毐

毐ǎi毒dú

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

毒 pairs 屮, a plant part, with 毐 as a sound part; this form was used for a poisonous plant.

Appears in

Illness & Symptoms

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