Chinese Character: 脉
1. Character Basics
Radical: 月 (yuè) - Moon/meat radical
Stroke Count: 9 strokes
Stroke Order:
2. Pronunciation
Pinyin: Mài (Fourth tone) or Mò (Fourth tone, less common)
3. Meaning
Basic Meaning: Pulse; vein; blood vessel; sequence; connection
Additional Notes: When pronounced as "mò", it is used in specific terms like "脉脉" (mò mò), meaning affectionate or lingering gaze.
4. Common Words
- 脉搏 (mài bó) - Pulse
- 血管 (xuè guǎn) - Blood vessel
- 脉络 (mài luò) - Veins; context; thread
- 山脉 (shān mài) - Mountain range
- 人脉 (rén mài) - Social connections; network
5. Grammar & Usage
The character "脉" is most commonly used as a noun to refer to blood vessels or pulses. It can also be used metaphorically to describe connections or sequences in various contexts.
6. Cultural Background
In traditional Chinese medicine, feeling the pulse (把脉, bǎ mài) is an important diagnostic method. This practice has been used for thousands of years to determine a person's health condition.
7. Example Sentence
中文: 医生正在给病人把脉。
Pinyin: Yī shēng zhèng zài gěi bìng rén bǎ mài.
English: The doctor is feeling the patient's pulse.
8. Memory Tips
The left side of "脉" is the radical "月" (moon/meat), which is often used in characters related to body parts. The right side "永" (yǒng) means "forever" or "permanent." You can remember it as "the forever-flowing blood vessels" to represent the concept of veins or pulses.