(zhěn) — diagnosis; to diagnose (bound form used in medical compounds)

Definition

诊 (zhěn) is a bound form meaning 'to diagnose' — it never stands alone, only appearing in medical compounds like 诊断, 门诊, and 诊疗.

bound form
diagnosisto diagnose (bound form used in medical compounds)

Examples

  • Yī shēng zhèng zài gěi bìng rén zuò zhěn duàn.
    The doctor is diagnosing the patient.
  • Zhè jiā yī yuàn de mén zhěn yíng yè dào wǎn shàng bā diǎn.
    This hospital's outpatient service is open until 8 p.m.
  • Zhè zhǒng bìng xū yào zǐ xì zhěn liáo.
    This illness requires careful diagnosis and treatment.

Origin

Sound + meaning
六书liùshū
形声xíngshēng

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 診; 诊 is its simplified writing.

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

In the traditional form 診, the left part 言 relates to speech, and the right part 㐱 gives the sound; the simplified 诊 is a later shorthand.

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