酸痛
suāntòng
In Chinese, the word for 'sore' (as in causing pain) is 酸痛 (suāntòng).
酸痛 is typically used to describe muscle soreness, such as the dull aching sensation felt after physical exertion or the sensation of fatigue in one's limbs.
Meaning: causing pain (adj)
What does it mean word for word?
The word 酸痛 is a compound of 酸, which can mean sour or aching and 痛, which means pain.
Which one should you use?
While 痛 refers to general pain, 酸痛 specifically describes the dull, aching soreness often associated with muscles. The phrase 发酸 is an informal way to describe the sensation of muscles or joints becoming tender and sore.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
suāntòng
Did you know?
- The concept of 'sourness' 酸 extends beyond physical pain to emotions. To say your heart is 酸 means you are feeling sentimental, touched, or about to cry.
- In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the sensation of 'soreness' 酸 is specifically associated with the liver. A feeling of soreness in the limbs is often interpreted as a sign of liver imbalance.
- Because 酸 means 'sour', using it to describe a person's attitude can sometimes imply they are being 'sour' or 'envious' in a social context, much like the English expression.
Examples in context
- 我全身酸痛。My whole body is sore.This sentence is useful for saying that your whole body is sore using 酸痛.Tatoeba #917936 by Martha, translation #273774 by CK
- 我脚很疼痛，请问有药吗？My foot is very sore, do you have any medication?
- 我的腿部肌肉感到酸痛。Wǒ de tuǐbù jīròu gǎndào suāntòng.My leg muscles feel sore.
- 运动后背部有些酸痛。Yùndòng hòu bèibù yǒuxiē suāntòng.My back is a bit sore after exercising.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A man describes his physical condition to a female friend.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen伟，你看起来很累。Wěi, nǐ kàn qǐlái hěn lèi.Wei, you look very tired.
- 伟 Wei是的，我全身肌肉酸痛。Shì de, wǒ quánshēn jīròu suāntòng.Yes, my whole body's muscles are sore.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen你是昨天运动得太厉害了吗？Nǐ shì zuótiān yùndòng de tài lìhai le ma?Did you overdo your workout yesterday?
- 伟 Wei可能吧，我需要休息一下。Kěnéng ba, wǒ xūyào xiūxi yíxià.Probably, I need to rest a bit.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
