鼻窦炎 (bí dòu yán) — sinusitis

Definition

noun
sinusitis

Examples

  • 鼻窦炎。
    Yī shēng shuō wǒ dé le bí dòu yán.
    The doctor said I have sinusitis.
  • 鼻窦炎。
    bí dòu yán Xū yào jí shí zhì liáo.
    Sinusitis needs timely treatment.
  • 鼻窦炎。
    Tā yīn wèi bí dòu yán zhù yuàn le.
    He was hospitalized because of sinusitis.

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.

鼻窦nasal sinus
鼻bínose窦dòusinus/cavity
偏正Modifier + head
炎yáninflammation

鼻窦 names the nasal sinus, and 炎 marks inflammation, giving sinusitis.

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
自自zìnose
Sound part声符shēngfú
畀
畀bì鼻bí
Same sound today

鼻 pairs 自, meaning nose, with 畀, which gives the sound.

Open 鼻 →

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 竇; 窦 is its simplified writing.

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

The traditional form 竇 pairs 穴 (hole) with 𧶠 for the sound; the simplified 窦 is a shorthand, and its lower part is not a sound part.

Open 窦 →

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

炎 places two 火 (fire) shapes vertically, one above the other, to show fire doubled.

Open 炎 →

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