中毒
zhòngdú · HSK 5
be poisoned
☠️ 中毒 = hit + poison; the toxin lands its target
中 (zhòng) here means to hit or be struck by, not middle; 毒 (dú) is poison or toxin. Together: struck by poison, i.e. poisoned or intoxicated. The same 中 shows up in 中奖 (win a prize, literally hit-prize).
中 — vertical stroke 丨 through enclosure 口
Pictograph of a banner or pole piercing the center of a target or territory, depicting the idea of 'middle' or 'center'. The horizontal frame represents boundaries, and the vertical line marks the central axis. The meaning extended from spatial center to 'middle, central, China' (中国, the Middle Kingdom).
毒 — grass 屮 on top + 母 (mother/below)
Originally an associative compound showing a toxic plant (the 屮/生 element on top) over 毋, suggesting something harmful that must be forbidden. The early meaning was 'poisonous herb,' which broadened to 'poison,' 'toxic,' and figuratively 'cruel' or 'malicious.' The modern form keeps this top-plant + bottom-warning structure.