關節炎 / 关节炎
gwaan¹ zit³ jim⁴
The English word 'arthritis' is translated into Cantonese as 關節炎 / 关节炎 (gwaan¹ zit³ jim⁴).
The term refers to the inflammation of a joint.
Meaning: inflammation of a joint (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word 關節炎 is composed of 關節, meaning 'joint' and 炎, meaning 'inflammation' or 'burning'.
Which one should you use?
While 關節炎 is a formal term referring specifically to the inflammation, the term 關節病 is also a formal way to say arthritis that focuses more on the disease aspect of the condition.
How do you pronounce it?
gwaan¹ zit³ jim⁴
Did you know?
- In traditional Cantonese medicine, arthritis symptoms are often linked to 'wind' or 'dampness' in the body, so a person might not just say they have 關節炎, but might complain about 濕痹 (sap6 bei3), or 'dampness-induced numbness'.
- The term 關節 is used metaphorically in Cantonese to describe a 'critical juncture' or 'turning point' in a situation, not just a physical joint in the body.
- The word 節 (zit3) in 關節 means 'knot' or 'section', referring to the way joints divide the body into segments like the nodes on a bamboo stalk.
Example sentences for Cantonese are not verified yet.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “arthritis” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
