新冠
xinguan
In Chinese, the English phrase covid is expressed as 新冠 (xinguan).
新冠 is an abbreviation widely used in informal situations to refer to COVID-19.
Meaning: disease caused by a coronavirus discovered in 2019 (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The term consists of 新 (new) and 冠 (crown/corona).
Which one should you use?
Adding 病毒 (virus) to the end makes the term more specific to the biological agent.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
In daily conversation, people often shorten the term to just 新冠 instead of using the full technical name, making it a colloquial abbreviation widely used in informal situations.
How do you pronounce it?
xinguan
Did you know?
- The term 新冠 is actually an orthographic borrowing from the Japanese term 新冠 (Niikappu).
- During the pandemic, the phrase 新冠 became so common that it spawned a variety of slang terms and 'internet speak' to bypass censorship on social media platforms.
- The character 冠 (crown) in 新冠 refers specifically to the 'corona' of the virus, which looks like a sun's rays or a crown under a microscope.
Examples in context
- 今年的重点议题之一是如何应对新型冠状病毒的传播。One of the key topics this year is how to tackle the spread of the novel coronavirus.
- 冠状病毒疫情对全球经济造成了巨大影响。The coronavirus pandemic has had a significant impact on the global economy.
- 这段时间大家都需要注意新冠的防控措施。During this period, everyone needs to pay attention to the prevention and control measures for the novel coronavirus.
- 他的肺炎症状确诊为新冠。His pneumonia symptoms were diagnosed as COVID-19.
- 他得了新冠。Tā déle xīnguān.He caught COVID.
- 现在的疫情和新冠有关。Xiànzài de yìqíng hé xīnguān yǒuguān.The current epidemic is related to COVID.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about health news over the phone.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen最近关于新冠的新闻很多。Zuìjìn guānyú xīnguān de xīnwén hěnduō.There is a lot of news about COVID lately.
- 伟 Wei是啊，你要注意身体。Shì a, nǐ yào zhùyì shēntǐ.Yes, you should take care of your health.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen谢谢，我会戴好口罩的。Xièxiè, wǒ huì dài hǎo kǒuzhào de.Thanks, I will make sure to wear a mask.
- 伟 Wei好，晓雯，也要保重。Hǎo, Xiǎowén, yě yào bǎozhòng.Okay, Xiaowen, take care of yourself too.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 新冠, CC BY-SA 4.0.
