Definitions

decayed teeth; dental caries

Etymology

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

Semantic: 齿 Phonetic:

About

The character '龋', meaning dental caries, developed from its traditional form '齲' which combines the semantic radical '齒' for tooth with the phonetic component '禺' to suggest pronunciation. Its meaning has been consistently specific to tooth decay since early appearances in medical literature, showing no notable semantic shift. Over time, the character's structure experienced gradual modifications through conventional writing practices, resulting in the modern form where '齿' serves as the simplified semantic element and '禹' functions as the phonetic element, preserving the original etymological construction while reflecting changes in script usage.

Etymology Hide

Oracle etymology image
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

我的牙齿有洞。

Wǒ de yáchǐ yǒu qǔ dòng.

My tooth has a cavity.

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.