Definitions

qiāng (noun) cavity; hollow space in body
qiāng (noun) accent; tone of speech
qiāng (noun) tune; melody

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. ⺼ represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character "腔" is constructed from the "flesh" or "body" radical (月, a form of 肉) combined with the component "空", which serves as both a phonetic indicator and a semantic hint suggesting hollowness or space. This structure clearly points to its original and core meaning: an internal cavity or receptacle within a body, such as the chest cavity or the sinus. Over time, this concrete anatomical concept was metaphorically extended to describe the hollow interior of other objects, like the body of a musical instrument. Its most significant semantic expansion, however, applied this idea of a resonating chamber to the human voice, leading to meanings related to tone, accent, and manner of speech, such as in the terms for vocal style or local accent, where it conceptualizes the distinctive quality of sound produced within one's physical framework.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

健康很重要。

Kǒuqiāng jiànkāng hěn zhòngyào.

Oral health is very important.

他说话带有北方调。

Tā shuōhuà dài yǒu běifāng qiāngdiào.

He speaks with a northern accent.

医生用听诊器检查胸

Yīshēng yòng tīngzhěnqì jiǎnchá xiōngqiāng.

The doctor uses a stethoscope to examine the chest cavity.

手术需要专业医生。

Fùqiāng shǒushù xūyào zhuānyè yīshēng.

Abdominal cavity surgery requires a specialist.

她的调听起来很温柔。

Tā de qiāngdiào tīng qǐlái hěn wēnróu.

Her tone sounds very gentle.

保持口清洁可以预防疾病。

Bǎochí kǒuqiāng qīngjié kěyǐ yùfáng jíbìng.

Maintaining oral cleanliness can prevent diseases.

和腹之间由横膈膜分隔。

Xiōngqiāng hé fùqiāng zhī jiān yóu hénggémó fēngé.

The chest cavity and abdominal cavity are separated by the diaphragm.

这种肠动物的身体结构很简单。

Zhè zhǒng qiāngcháng dòngwù de shēntǐ jiégòu hěn jiǎndān.

The body structure of this coelenterate is very simple.