过敏
guò mǐn · HSK 5
allergic
🤧 过 = cross/over + 敏 = quick/sensitive → over-sensitive → allergic
过 carries the sense of 'going past, excess' (as in 过度 excessive), and 敏 means 'quick, sharp, sensitive' (as in 敏感). Together: a reaction that's gone past sensitive — i.e. allergic.
过 — 辶 walk radical + 呙 (phonetic)
过 combines the walking radical 辶, suggesting motion or passage, with 呙 serving as the phonetic component. Originally it depicted crossing or passing by on foot, which extended to meanings like 'to pass,' 'to cross over,' and later 'past' or 'excessive.' The simplified form replaces the traditional 過.
敏 — every 每 + tap/strike 攵
敏 combines 每 (every, originally a woman with hair ornament) with 攵 (a hand holding a stick, indicating action). The original sense suggested quick, diligent action — responding swiftly to every task. It came to mean 'quick, agile, sharp' in both physical and mental senses.
guò mǐn · HSK 5
allergy
🤧 过 = pass/over + 敏 = sensitive → over-sensitive = allergy
过 means 'to pass' or 'excessive' (as in 过度 = excessive); 敏 means 'sensitive, quick' (as in 敏感 = sensitive). Together: over-sensitive reaction = allergy. Compare with English 'hyper-sensitive'.
过 — 辶 walk radical + 呙 (phonetic)
过 combines the walking radical 辶, suggesting motion or passage, with 呙 serving as the phonetic component. Originally it depicted crossing or passing by on foot, which extended to meanings like 'to pass,' 'to cross over,' and later 'past' or 'excessive.' The simplified form replaces the traditional 過.
敏 — every 每 + tap/strike 攵
敏 combines 每 (every, originally a woman with hair ornament) with 攵 (a hand holding a stick, indicating action). The original sense suggested quick, diligent action — responding swiftly to every task. It came to mean 'quick, agile, sharp' in both physical and mental senses.
guò mǐn · HSK 5
allergy
🤧 过 (cross/over) + 敏 (sensitive) = over-sensitive reaction
过 means to cross over or exceed; 敏 means sensitive or quick. Together they describe the body crossing into over-sensitivity — an allergic reaction. The same 敏 appears in 敏感 (sensitive) and 灵敏 (keen).
过 — 辶 walk radical + 呙 (phonetic)
过 combines the walking radical 辶, suggesting motion or passage, with 呙 serving as the phonetic component. Originally it depicted crossing or passing by on foot, which extended to meanings like 'to pass,' 'to cross over,' and later 'past' or 'excessive.' The simplified form replaces the traditional 過.
敏 — every 每 + tap/strike 攵
敏 combines 每 (every, originally a woman with hair ornament) with 攵 (a hand holding a stick, indicating action). The original sense suggested quick, diligent action — responding swiftly to every task. It came to mean 'quick, agile, sharp' in both physical and mental senses.