咽喉痛
yānhóutòng
In Chinese, 'sore throat' can be expressed as 咽喉痛 (yānhóutòng), 喉嚨痛 / 喉咙痛 or 喉痛.
Meaning: symptom (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 咽喉痛 | yānhóutòng |
| 喉嚨痛 / 喉咙痛 | hóulóngtòng |
| 喉痛 | hóutòng |
These terms are used to describe the symptom of having a pain or discomfort in one's throat.
What does it mean word for word?
The term 咽喉痛 is composed of 咽喉 (yānhóu), meaning 'pharynx/throat' and 痛 (tòng), meaning 'pain'.
Which one should you use?
咽喉痛 is a medical or more formal term, while 喉咙痛 is the most common way to express having a sore throat in everyday spoken Chinese. The form 喉痛 is also a way to refer to the symptom.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The form 喉咙痛 is the standard way to say sore throat in many Southern Chinese dialects and regions like Taiwan.
How do you pronounce it?
yānhóutòng
Did you know?
- In Traditional Chinese Medicine, a sore throat is not just a local issue but is often described as 上火 (shànghuǒ), meaning 'internal fire' rising in the body.
- The formal term 咽喉 is also used metaphorically in Chinese to describe a 'strategic bottleneck' or a critical pass in a mountain or city.
- In Chinese culture, a 'sore throat' is often treated with 冰糖炖梨, which is a traditional remedy of pears stewed with rock sugar to moisten the lungs.
Examples in context
- 我想预约看医生，因为我一直有喉咙痛。I want to make an appointment to see a doctor because I've had a sore throat continuously.
- 我今天早上起床嗓子疼得厉害。I woke up this morning with a really sore throat.
- 喝热水对嗓子疼很有帮助。Drinking hot water is very helpful for a sore throat.
- 由于咽喉痛，他说话很困难。Yóuyú yānhóutòng, tā shuōhuà hěn kùnnán.Because of a sore throat, it is difficult for him to speak.
Example conversation
Zihan tells Wei she cannot eat spicy food because she is sick.
- 梓涵 Zihan我不能吃辣的，因为我咽喉痛。Wǒ bùnéng chī là de, yīnwèi wǒ yānhóutòng.I can't eat spicy food because I have a sore throat.
- 伟 Wei真的很严重吗？Zhēn de hěn yánzhòng ma?Is it really serious?
- 梓涵 Zihan吞东西的时候很不舒服。Tūn dōngxī de shíhou hěn bù shūfu.It's very uncomfortable when I swallow.
- 伟 Wei那你多喝点温水吧。Nà nǐ duō hē diǎn wēnshuǐ ba.Then you should drink more warm water.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sore throat” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
