癡呆 / 痴呆
chīdāi
Dementia in Chinese is translated as 癡呆 / 痴呆 (chīdāi). Wiktionary also lists 失智症 (shīzhìzhèng).
Meaning: progressive decline in cognitive function (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 癡呆 / 痴呆 | chīdāi |
| 失智症 | shīzhìzhèng |
The term refers to a progressive decline in cognitive function.
What does it mean word for word?
The term 失智症 literally means 'loss of intellect disease'.
Which one should you use?
失智症 is the preferred, more polite term used in medical and formal contexts, whereas 癡呆 is more blunt and can be perceived as insensitive.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Taiwanese Mandarin, both 痴呆症 and 失智症 are terms used for formal discussions.
How do you pronounce it?
chīdāi
Did you know?
- While the word 癡 in 癡呆 literally means 'foolish' or 'obsessed', it was historically used in literature to describe someone 'infatuated' by love rather than someone with a medical condition.
- In traditional Chinese culture, some families avoid using any word for 'dementia' and instead use euphemisms like 老糊塗, which means 'confused old person'.
- The character 呆 in 癡呆 originally meant 'wooden' or 'stiff', referring to a lack of movement or response.
Examples in context
- 医生诊断出他患有痴呆症。The doctor diagnosed him with dementia.
- 我在研究失智症的病因。I am researching the causes of dementia.
- 我奶奶得了老年痴呆，需要照顾。My grandmother has senile dementia and needs care.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “dementia” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
