Definition
代谢 has two main senses. In modern Chinese, it most commonly refers to metabolism (新陈代谢) — the chemical processes in living organisms. It can also be used as a verb meaning 'to metabolize'. In literary or formal contexts, 代谢 can mean 'to supersede' or 'to replace the old with the new' (as in 新旧代谢). A rare, archaic sense is 'to express thanks on behalf of others', but this is not common in everyday usage.
v.
(biology) to metabolizemetabolism(literary) to supersedeto replace (the old with the new)
Examples
- 代谢。Yàowù zài gānzàng zhōng dài xiè.The drug is metabolized in the liver.
- 代谢。Xīn jiù dài xiè shì zìrán guīlǜ.The replacement of the old by the new is a natural law.
- 代谢。Zhè zhǒng jīsù néng jiāsù xìbāo dài xiè.This hormone can accelerate cell metabolism.
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