遗传病 (yí chuán bìng) — hereditary disease; genetic disorder

Definition

A medical noun for a disease passed from parents to offspring through genes — 'hereditary / genetic disease'. In medical writing 遗传 and 基因 are often paired, but here they are folded into one term.

noun

hereditary diseasegenetic disorder

Measure word · 种

Examples

遗传病。
Zhè zhǒng yí chuán bìng shì jī yīn tū biàn dǎo zhì de.
This hereditary disease is caused by a genetic mutation.
遗传病。
Tā jiā lǐ yǒu rén dé le hǎn ér de yí chuán bìng.
Someone in his family has a rare hereditary disease.
遗传病。
Kē xué jiā zhèng zài yán jiū rú hé zhì liáo zhè zhǒng yí chuán bìng.
Scientists are researching how to treat this hereditary disease.

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.

遗传inherit

遗yípass down传chuántransmit

联合Side by side

病bìngdisease

遗传 (passed down) describes the kind of 病 (disease), so it is a hereditary disorder.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 遺; 遗 is its simplified writing.

辶貴遺

Meaning part形符xíngfú

辶Written in full as辵chuòmove

Sound part声符shēngfú

貴

貴guì遺yí

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

The traditional form 遺 pairs 辶 (move) with 貴 as a sound part; the simplified 遗 is a shorthand, and its right side is not the old sound part.

Open 遗 →

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 傳; 传 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

人人rénman

Sound part声符shēngfú

專

專zhuān傳chuán

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 傳 puts 人 (man) beside 專, which gives the sound; the simplified 传 is a later shorthand, and its parts are not the historical ones.

Open 传 →

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.

Open 病 →

Appears in