血压计 (xuè yā jì) — blood pressure monitor, blood pressure cuff

Definition

noun

blood pressure monitorblood pressure cuff

Measure word · 台

。
Yī shēng yòng xuè yā jì gěi wǒ liáng le xuè yā.
The doctor measured my blood pressure with a blood pressure monitor.
血压计。
Wǒ mǎi le yì tái xīn de xuè yā jì fàng zài jiā lǐ.
I bought a new blood pressure monitor and put it at home.
血压计。
Zhè ge xuè yā jì de dú shù hěn zhǔn què.
The readings on this blood pressure monitor are very accurate.

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.

血压blood pressure

偏正Modifier + head

血压 (blood pressure) and 计 (gauge) make a device measuring blood pressure.

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.

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 計; 计 is its simplified writing.

言十計

The traditional form 計 pairs 言 (say) with 十 (all). The simplified 计 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the historical shape.