龋齿 (qǔ chǐ) — dental cavity; decayed tooth

Definition

noun
dental cavitydecayed tooth
Measure word · 颗

Examples

  • ，龋齿。
    Tā yīn wèi chī tài duō táng, cháng le qǔ chǐ.
    He got cavities because he ate too much candy.
  • 龋齿。
    Dìng qī jiǎn chá kě yǐ yù fáng qǔ chǐ.
    Regular check-ups can prevent cavities.
  • 龋齿。
    Yī shēng jiàn yì tā bǔ hǎo qǔ chǐ.
    The doctor advised him to fill the decayed tooth.

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.

龋qǔdecayed
齿chǐtooth

龋 describes a tooth as decayed, so 龋齿 means a decayed tooth or dental cavity.

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 齲; 龋 is its simplified writing.

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

The traditional form 齲 uses 齒 for teeth and 禹 for sound; the simplified 龋 is a later abbreviation.

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 齒; 齿 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 齒 originally drew a mouth full of teeth, and later gained a part that gives a clue to its sound. The simplified 齿 is a later shorthand.

Open 齿 →

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