腋下
yèxià
The English phrase armpit is translated into Mandarin as 腋下 (yèxià). Wiktionary also lists 夾肢窩 / 夹肢窝 (gāzhiwō) and 腋窩 / 腋窝 (yèwō).
Meaning: the cavity beneath the junction of the arm and shoulder (noun)
Ways to say it
| Mandarin | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 腋下 | yèxià |
| 夾肢窩 / 夹肢窝 | gāzhiwō |
| 腋窩 / 腋窝 | yèwō |
The term refers to the cavity located beneath the junction of the arm and the shoulder.
Which one should you use?
腋下 is the most common way to refer to the armpit area in daily conversation, whereas 腋窩 is a more formal anatomical term. 腋窩 is the technical medical term for the axilla, used in clinical or biological contexts. 夹肢窝 is another way to express the concept of the armpit.
How do you pronounce it?
yèxià
Did you know?
- In traditional Chinese medicine, the 腋下 is considered a critical gateway for 氣 (qi) and is a primary location for acupuncture to treat shoulder and chest ailments.
- The character 窩 used in 腋窩 can also be translated as 'nest' or 'den', suggesting the armpit is a small, hollowed-out home for the limb.
- The character 腋 is a phono-semantic compound where the left side 月 represents 'flesh' or 'body parts'. This radical is used in many Mandarin words for organs and limbs, even though 月 normally means 'moon'.
Examples in context
- 在人体的腋窝中，汗水会积聚并散发出气味。In the human armpit, sweat accumulates and gives off an odor.
- 他的腋下有很多汗。Tā de yèxià yǒu hěnduō hàn.He has a lot of sweat under his armpits.
Example conversation
A man is trying on a new shirt in a clothing store.
- 雨婷 Yuting浩然，这件衬衫怎么样？Hàorán, zhè jiàn chènshān zěnmeyàng?Haoran, how is this shirt?
- 浩然 Haoran感觉腋下那里有点太紧了。Gǎnjué yèxià nàlǐ yǒudiǎn tài jǐn le.I feel like the armpit area is a bit too tight.
- 雨婷 Yuting要不要试一下大一号的？Yào bù yào shì yīxià dà yī hào de?Do you want to try one size larger?
- 浩然 Haoran好，那我换一件试试。Hǎo, nà wǒ huàn yī jiàn shì shì.Okay, then I will try another one.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “armpit” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
