HSK · Level 35
120 words
Chinese word
神经
Pronunciation
Pinyinshén jīng
Meaning
- nounnerve
Example
医生说他的神经受损了。yī shēng shuō tā de shén jīng shòu sǔn le
The doctor said his nerves were damaged.
More examples
开会前他的神经有点儿紧张。kāi huì qián tā de shén jīng yóu diǎnr jǐn zhāng
Before the meeting, his nerves were a little tense.
Core concept
A body's signal wire linking the central nervous system with its organs, with the same idea extending to a person's quick emotional reactions.
Common phrases
神经受损shén jīng shòu sǔn
damaged nerves
神经紧张shén jīng jǐn zhāng
tense nerves
发神经fā shén jīng
lose one's temper
Similar words
神经系统shén jīng xì tǒng: The body's network of the brain, spinal cord, and nerves that carries and coordinates information.
神经元shén jīng yuán: The basic signaling cell of nerve tissue, able to receive and send information.
神经纤维shén jīng xiān wéi: A threadlike nerve structure that carries signals over long distances.
Definition in Chinese
连接中枢与器官，传递感觉和运动信号的纤维束或结构；口语中也可引申为情绪或反应的敏感性。lián jiē zhōng shū yǔ qì guān chuán dì gǎn jué hé yùn dòng xìn hào de xiān wéi shù huò jié gòu kóu yǔ zhōng yě kě yǐn shēn wèi qíng xù huò fǎn yìng de mín gǎn xìng
Word origin
神经 (shénjīng, "nerve") was formed as a modern medical translation of the Western anatomical term, combining 神 (shén, "spirit") with 经 (jīng, "channel") for a route that carries signals.
Usage tips
- The medical sense is usually clear from context, but using the noun directly for a person's behavior can sound judgmental rather than clinical.
Related words
- 神经衰弱shén jīng shuāi ruòneurasthenianoun
- 神经过敏shén jīng guò mǐnoversensitiveadjective