霉菌
méijūn
In Mandarin, mold is expressed as 霉菌 (méijūn). Wiktionary also lists 霉 (méi).
Meaning: furry or woolly growth of tiny fungi (noun)
Ways to say it
| Mandarin | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 霉菌 | méijūn |
| 霉 | méi |
The word refers to the furry or woolly growth of tiny fungi.
What does it mean word for word?
The character 霉 carries the core meaning of mold or being spoiled/musty.
Which one should you use?
The two-character form 霉菌 is the formal biological term for mold, whereas the single character 霉 is more commonly used in casual speech to refer to the presence of mold or the state of being moldy.
How do you pronounce it?
méijūn
When do people say it?
In colloquial settings, you might hear the expression 长毛 (meaning 'to grow fur') used to describe something that has become moldy.
Did you know?
- The term 霉运 combines 'mold' and 'luck' to describe a streak of bad luck. It suggests that a person's fortune has become 'moldy' or spoiled.
- The character 霉 contains the radical for 'rain' 雨, suggesting a historical connection between moisture and the growth of mold.
- In traditional Chinese medicine, certain 'moldy' substances are used as medicine. For example, some fungi are categorized as 'medicinal molds' rather than just spoilage.
Examples in context
- 这个食品上有些霉菌，请不要食用。There is some mold on this food, please do not eat it.
- 草地上的叶子上有一些真菌。There are some fungi on the leaves on the grass.
- 这个苹果上长了霉，扔掉吧。There is mold on this apple, throw it away.
- 你看这个面包发霉了，别吃啦。Look, this bread has gone moldy, don't eat it.
- 那碗汤都长毛了，真恶心。That bowl of soup has grown fur, it's really disgusting.
- 这种霉菌对健康有害。Zhè zhǒng méijūn duì jiànkāng yǒuhài.This kind of mold is harmful to health.
- 墙上长了许多霉菌。Qiáng shàng zhǎngle xǔduō méijūn.There is a lot of mold growing on the wall.
- 我们需要清理这些霉菌。Wǒmen xūyào qīnglǐ zhèxiē méijūn.We need to clean up these molds.
Example conversation
Two roommates are inspecting a damp corner in their kitchen.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen你看，这块面包上有霉菌。Nǐ kàn, zhè kuài miànbāo shàng yǒu méijūn.Look, there is mold on this piece of bread.
- 俊杰 Junjie太糟糕了，快把它扔掉。Tài zāogāo le, kuài bǎ tā rēngdiào.That's terrible, throw it away quickly.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen我这就去扔。Wǒ zhè jiù qù rēng.I'll go throw it away right now.
- 俊杰 Junjie顺便检查一下冰箱里的东西。Shùnbiàn jiǎnchá yīxià bīngxiāng lǐ de dōngxi.By the way, check the things in the fridge.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “mold” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 霉, CC BY-SA 4.0.
