新冠肺炎
xīnguān fèiyán
The English phrase "covid-19" can be translated into Chinese as 新冠肺炎 (xīnguān fèiyán). If unsure, use 新冠肺炎. Wiktionary also lists 2019冠狀病毒病 /2019冠状病毒病 (2019 Guānzhuàng Bìngdú Bìng) and 新型冠状病毒肺炎 (xīnxíng guānzhuàng bìngdú fèiyán).
Meaning: disease (name)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 新冠肺炎 | xīnguān fèiyán |
| 2019冠狀病毒病 /2019冠状病毒病 | 2019 Guānzhuàng Bìngdú Bìng |
| 新型冠状病毒肺炎 | xīnxíng guānzhuàng bìngdú fèiyán |
Which one should you use?
新冠肺炎 and 新型冠状病毒肺炎 are both formal terms used to describe the disease, while 2019冠狀病毒病 /2019冠状病毒病 translates to "coronavirus disease 2019". The shorter form 新冠 is an informal abbreviation of 新冠肺炎. The term 武汉肺炎 is an informal way to refer to the disease.
How do you pronounce it?
xīnguān fèiyán
Did you know?
- To bypass automated censorship filters on social media, Chinese internet users developed coded language and homophones to discuss 新冠 during the pandemic.
- The character 冠 (guān) used in the name refers to both the 'crown' of the virus and is the same character used to describe a winner's championship.
- In Chinese, the disease is identified by its clinical effect on the lungs, as 肺炎 means 'pneumonia', rather than using a generic term for a virus.
Examples in context
- 请务必关注新冠肺炎的最新动态。Please pay attention to the latest updates on COVID-19.
- 昨天我看了新闻，疫情在全球蔓延。Yesterday, I saw the news, and the epidemic is spreading globally.
- 他问我新冠是不是真的很可怕。He asked me if COVID-19 is really that scary.
- 预防新冠肺炎非常重要。Yùfáng Xīnguàn fèiyán fēicháng zhòngyào.Preventing covid-19 is very important.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about public health news.
- 雨婷 Yuting你听说了新冠肺炎的消息吗？Nǐ tīngshuō le Xīnguàn fèiyán de xiāoxi ma?Have you heard the news about covid-19?
- 伟 Wei听说了，最近情况怎么样？Tīngshuō le, zuìjìn qíngkuàng zěnmeyàng?I have, how is the situation lately?
- 雨婷 Yuting比起之前，现在好多了。Bǐqǐ zhīqián, xiànzài hǎo duō le.Compared to before, it is much better now.
- 伟 Wei那我就放心了。Nà wǒ jiù fàngxīn le.Then I feel relieved.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “covid-19” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
