湿疹
shīzhěn
The English word eczema is translated into Chinese as 湿疹 (shīzhěn).
湿疹 refers to acute or chronic inflammation of the skin.
Meaning: acute or chronic inflammation of the skin (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of 湿 (shī), meaning 'damp' or 'moist' and 疹 (zhěn), meaning 'rash'.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Cantonese, the term is written as 濕疹.
How do you pronounce it?
shīzhěn
Did you know?
- In Chinese culture, skin conditions like 湿疹 are sometimes colloquially linked to 上火 (shànghuǒ), a concept of 'internal heat' that has no direct English equivalent.
- In Traditional Chinese medicine, the term 湿疹 implies that the condition is caused by 'dampness' accumulating in the body, rather than just being a surface skin issue.
- The character 疹 (zhěn) is used in several Chinese terms for eruptive diseases, including the word for measles, 麻疹 (mázhěn).
Examples in context
- 我得了湿疹，有什么治疗方法吗？I have eczema, are there any treatment options?
- 你知道如何防止湿疹复发吗？Do you know how to prevent eczema flare-ups?
- 他的手臂上长了湿疹。Tā de shǒubì shàng zhǎngle shīzhěn.He has eczema on his arm.
- 这种湿疹非常痒。Zhè zhǒng shīzhěn fēicháng yǎng.This kind of eczema is very itchy.
