血压 (xuè yā) — blood pressure | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

The medical term for blood pressure. Unlike 压力 (general physical or mental pressure), 血压 refers specifically to the force of blood in the arteries.

noun

blood pressure

血压。
Yī shēng shuō wǒ xuè yā yǒu diǎn gāo.
The doctor said my blood pressure is a bit high.
血压。
Yùn dòng kě yǐ jiàng dī xuè yā.
Exercise can lower blood pressure.
血压？
Nǐ měi tiān cè liáng xuè yā ma?
Do you measure your blood pressure every day?

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.

压yāpressure

血 (blood) + 压 (pressure) forms the pressure of blood.

Characters in this word

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

The shape shows 一, a drop of blood, inside 皿, a container, for blood held in a sacrificial vessel.

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 壓; 压 is its simplified writing.

厭土壓

Meaning part形符xíngfú

土土tǔdust

Sound part声符shēngfú

厭

厭yàn壓yā

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

The traditional form 壓 is built from 土, dust, and 厭, which gives the sound; 压 is the simplified form of 壓.

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