消化不良
xiāohuà bùliáng
The English word 'indigestion' is translated into Mandarin as 消化不良 (xiāohuà bùliáng).
消化不良 refers to the condition caused by eating too quickly. To say 'I have indigestion', you typically state the condition directly, such as 我消化不良, rather than using a possessive like 'my indigestion'.
Meaning: condition caused by eating too quickly (noun)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In mainland China, the phrase 消化问题 is sometimes used to refer to a digestive problem or indigestion.
How does it change in a sentence?
You can add the particle 了 to the end of the phrase to form 消化不良了, which indicates a change in state, such as when someone suddenly starts feeling indigestion.
How do you pronounce it?
xiāohuà bùliáng
Did you know?
- The word 消化 is used metaphorically in Mandarin to mean 'absorbing' or 'processing' information, such as when a student needs time to 消化 a difficult lesson.
- In Traditional Chinese Medicine, indigestion is often attributed to an imbalance in the 脾 or 'Spleen', which is viewed as the organ responsible for transforming food into energy rather than just filtering blood.
- In Chinese culture, indigestion is often linked to the concept of 'stagnation' and is treated with the practice of 揉腹, which is the rhythmic massaging of the abdomen to help move energy.
Examples in context
- 吃得太快会导致消化不良。chī de tài kuài huì dǎozhì xiāohuà bùliáng.Eating too fast can cause indigestion.
- 他因为消化不良而感到很不舒服。tā yīnwèi xiāohuà bùliáng ér gǎndào hěn bù shūfu.He feels very uncomfortable due to indigestion.
Example conversation
Junjie and Jiayi are having tea at a cafe.
- 俊杰 Junjie你的脸色看起来不太好。nǐ de liǎnsè kàn qǐlái bù tài hǎo.You don't look very well.
- 佳怡 Jiayi我有点消化不良。wǒ yǒu diǎn xiāohuà bùliáng.I have a little indigestion.
- 俊杰 Junjie是不是刚才吃得太快了？shì bù shì gāngcái chī de tài kuài le?Was it because you ate too fast just now?
- 佳怡 Jiayi可能是吧，我很难受。kěnéng shì ba, wǒ hěn nánshòu.Maybe, I feel quite unwell.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “indigestion” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
