腎石
san6 sek6
The English phrase 'kidney stone' is translated into Cantonese as 腎石 (san6 sek6).
腎石 is a noun used to describe a calculus located in the kidney.
Meaning: calculus in the kidney (noun)
Which one should you use?
腎結石 is the formal term for kidney stone.
How do you pronounce it?
san6 sek6
Did you know?
- In the context of traditional health beliefs associated with Cantonese, kidney stones are often linked to an excess of 濕, which translates to 'dampness' in the body.
- While 腎石 is the standard term, Cantonese speakers in Hong Kong often use 'code-switching' and insert the English word 'stone' directly into a Cantonese sentence when discussing the condition.
- The term 結石 (calculus) uses the character 結, which literally means a 'knot'. This implies that a kidney stone is viewed linguistically as a mass that has 'knotted' or clumped together within the body.
Examples in context
- 我有腎結石I have kidney stones
- 我最近去醫院檢查，發現我有腎結石I recently went to the hospital for a check-up and found out that I have kidney stones.
- 我尿道有石頭I have a kidney stone in my urinary tract.
