龋

齲

qǔ

禹 + 齿

Frequency#3496

Definitions

qǔ decayed teeth; dental caries

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 齿 represents the meaning and 禹 represents the sound. Simplified form of 齲.

Semantic: 齿 Phonetic: 禹

About

The character "龋", meaning dental caries, originated from the traditional form 齲, which combines the semantic component 齒 (tooth) with the phonetic component 禹, reflecting both its association with teeth and its historical pronunciation. The simplified form 龋 retains the phonetic element 禹 while incorporating the simplified tooth radical 齿. This character has consistently denoted the condition of tooth decay in Chinese medical and literary texts since its early recorded use.

Etymology Hide

Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

我的牙齿有龋洞。

Wǒ de yáchǐ yǒu qǔ dòng.

My tooth has a cavity.

龋齿是常见的牙齿疾病。

Qǔchǐ shì chángjiàn de yáchǐ jíbìng.

Dental caries is a common tooth disease.

儿童要预防龋齿的发生。

Értóng yào yùfáng qǔchǐ de fāshēng.

Children need to prevent the occurrence of dental caries.

吃太多糖容易导致龋坏。

Chī tài duō táng róngyì dǎozhì qǔ huài.

Eating too much sugar can easily lead to tooth decay.

医生用器械清除了龋坏组织。

Yīshēng yòng qìxiè qīngchú le qǔ huài zǔzhī.

The doctor used instruments to remove the decayed tissue.

定期检查可以早期发现龋病。

Dìngqī jiǎnchá kěyǐ zǎoqī fāxiàn qǔbìng.

Regular check-ups can lead to early detection of dental caries.

氟化物能有效增强牙齿抗龋力。

Fúhuàwù néng yǒuxiào zēngqiáng yáchǐ kàng qǔ lì.

Fluoride can effectively enhance a tooth's resistance to decay.

这种高分子材料能渗透进龋损的牙体。

Zhè zhǒng gāofēnzǐ cáiliào néng shèntòu jìn qǔ sǔn de yátǐ.

This polymer material can penetrate into the decayed tooth structure.

Related Characters

Component: 禹

Component: 齿

龋