医用酒精
The English phrase "rubbing alcohol" is 医用酒精 in Mandarin.
医用酒精 is used to refer to rubbing alcohol, specifically denoting the grade intended for medical or antiseptic use.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 医用 (medical use) and 酒精 (alcohol).
Which one should you use?
While 酒精 is the general term for alcohol, 医用酒精 specifically denotes the grade intended for medical or antiseptic use. Additionally, 外用酒精 is a formal term for alcohol strictly for external use.
Did you know?
- In China, the term 酒精 (alcohol) refers primarily to ethanol. When talking about 'alcohol' in a social or drinking context, Chinese speakers almost exclusively use 酒 (liquor), which is a different character entirely.
- The character 精 in 酒精 can also mean 'spirit' or 'energy', suggesting a conceptual link between the substance and vital force.
- When buying 医用酒精 in a pharmacy, you may see it listed by percentage, such as 75%酒精, because this specific concentration is culturally and medically standardized as the most effective for disinfection in China.
Examples in context
- 医用酒精对伤口消毒很有效。Medical alcohol is very effective in disinfecting wounds.
- 药店里有卖医用酒精吗？Yàodiàn lǐ yǒu mài yīyòng jiǔjīng ma?Does the pharmacy sell rubbing alcohol?
- 请用医用酒精擦拭伤口。Qǐng yòng yīyòng jiǔjīng cāshì shāngkǒu.Please use rubbing alcohol to wipe the wound.
- 我需要买一瓶医用酒精。Wǒ xūyào mǎi yī píng yīyòng jiǔjīng.I need to buy a bottle of rubbing alcohol.
Example conversation
Xiaowen is helping Zhiqiang clean a small scrape on his arm.
- 志强 Zhiqiang我的胳膊擦破了。Wǒ de gēbo cāpò le.I scraped my arm.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen我用医用酒精帮你清理一下。Wǒ yòng yīyòng jiǔjīng bāng nǐ qīnglǐ yīxià.I'll use some rubbing alcohol to clean it for you.
- 志强 Zhiqiang会很疼吗？Huì hěn téng ma?Will it hurt a lot?
- 晓雯 Xiaowen只是一点点，忍耐一下。Zhǐshì yīdiǎndiǎn, rěnnài yīxià.Just a little bit, bear with it.
