骨科 (gǔ kē) — orthopedics (department or medical specialty)

Definition

noun
orthopedics (department or medical specialty)
Easily confused

Examples

  • ，骨科。
    Tā shuāi shāng le tuǐ, bèi sòng jìn le gǔ kē.
    He injured his leg in a fall and was taken to the orthopedics department.
  • 骨科。
    Zhè wèi gǔ kē yī shēng zuò le èr shí nián de shǒu shù.
    This orthopedic surgeon has been performing surgeries for twenty years.
  • 骨科。
    gǔ kē Jiǎn chá jié guǒ xiǎn shì tā de gǔ tou méi yǒu wèn tí.
    The orthopedic examination results showed that his bones are fine.

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.

骨gǔbone
科kēdepartment

骨 means bone and 科 means department, together a bone department.

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.

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

The older form 冎 drew a bone; 肉, flesh, was added to make 骨.

Open 骨 →

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
斗斗dòumeasuring tool
Sound part声符shēngfú
禾
禾hé科kē
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

科 pairs 禾, which gives the hé sound, with 斗, a measuring tool.

Open 科 →

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