肿 (zhǒng): to swell; to be swollen

Meanings

1 to swell; to be swollen
2 swollen; puffy

Characters

肿

zhǒng

swollen; to swell

Examples

他的眼睛哭肿了。

Tā de yǎnjing kū zhǒng le.

His eyes were swollen from crying.

脚踝扭伤后肿了起来。

Jiǎohuái niǔshāng hòu zhǒng le qǐlái.

The ankle swelled up after being sprained.

蜜蜂叮了以后，手肿了一大块。

Mìfēng dīng le yǐhòu, shǒu zhǒng le yīdà kuài.

After the bee sting, a large part of the hand swelled up.

消肿需要几天时间。

Xiāozhǒng xūyào jǐ tiān shíjiān.

It takes a few days for the swelling to go down.

Tips

usage

Common compounds: 红肿 (hóngzhǒng, red and swollen), 肿瘤 (zhǒngliú, tumor), 浮肿 (fúzhǒng, edema/puffy), 消肿 (xiāozhǒng, to reduce swelling). 肿 describes the physical state of being inflated or puffy.

Components

radical

⺼ ròu

flesh (radical)

Left flesh radical — the side-stacking form of 肉, visually identical to 月 (moon) but a separate radical. Anchors 肿 in the body/flesh family alongside 肝 (liver), 肺 (lungs), 脚 (foot), 肌 (muscle). Marks the swelling as a fleshy/bodily phenomenon — an inflamed lump on or in the body.

phonetic

中 zhōng

centre; middle

Right 中 supplies the sound — zhōng shifted only in tone to zhǒng (1st → 3rd). Same phonetic family: 钟 (zhōng, bell), 种 (zhǒng/zhòng, seed/plant), 忠 (zhōng, loyal). 中 also offers a mnemonic: a swelling is the centre of the inflammation, the bulge in the middle of the affected area.