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衰竭 (shuāi jié) — (of an organ or bodily function) to fail; to be in failure; (of energy, strength) to be exhausted; to be depleted

Definition

Used in medical/physiological contexts for an organ or energy reaching a critical low or stopping — more extreme and clinical than 衰落 (decline) or 衰减 (weaken/attenuate).

verb
(of an organ or bodily function) to failto be in failure(of energy, strength) to be exhaustedto be depleted

Examples

  • 衰竭。
    Tā de shèn zàng gōng néng zhú jiàn shuāi jié.
    His kidney function is gradually failing.
  • 衰竭。
    Cháng qī guò dù láo lèi huì dǎo zhì shēn tǐ shuāi jié.
    Long-term overwork can lead to physical exhaustion.
  • 。
    Lǎo rén yīn xīn lì shuāi jié zhù jìn le yī yuàn.
    The elderly man was hospitalized due to heart failure.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

衰shuāidecline
竭jiéexhaust

衰 and 竭 both express decline and exhaustion, so together they mean failure or depletion.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The old form of 衰 pictures a palm-fiber raincoat, a garment later written with another character.

Open 衰 →

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
立立lì
Sound part声符shēngfú
曷
曷hé竭jié
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

竭 is built from 立 and 曷: 立 carries the meaning part, while 曷 supplies the sound.

Open 竭 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Illness & Symptoms

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