How to Say "Virus" in Cantonese

病毒

beng⁶ duk⁶

The English word "virus" is translated into Cantonese as 病毒 (beng⁶ duk⁶).

病毒 refers to an infectious organism. You can also use the related adjective 病毒性 to mean "viral".

Meaning: infectious organism (noun)

Which one should you use?

While 病毒 is the correct term for a virus, in informal speech, people sometimes use the word 菌 (which actually means "bacteria") to refer to viruses.

To turn the noun 病毒 into the adjective "viral", add the suffix 性 to create 病毒性.

The romanization is beng⁶ duk⁶.

In Cantonese, the character 毒 is shared by both 病毒 (virus) and 毒品 (illegal drugs), conceptually linking biological infections with chemical addiction through the idea of 'poison'.
To describe a 'viral' trend on social media, Cantonese speakers often avoid the formal term 病毒性 and instead use the English loanword 'viral' or phrases describing rapid spreading.
The word 病毒 is used identically for both biological pathogens and computer viruses, including the use of the same terminology to describe the process of 'infecting' a system.

研究人員喺感染咗流感病毒嘅老鼠身上進行實驗，發現餵食流行嘅高蛋白質 / 低碳水化合物生酮或酮飲食嘅齒輪動物，比起餵食高碳水化合物飲食嘅老鼠，存活率高啲。
Experimenting with mice, infected with the flu virus, the researchers found that rodents fed the popular high protein/low carbohydrate ketogenic or keto diet had a higher survival rate than mice who were fed a diet that was high in carbohydrates.
This sentence shows the use of 病毒 in a scientific context regarding the flu.
Tatoeba #12908452 by Matthewyau1367, translation #12130947 by Cangarejo
最新研究發現，這種病毒相當危險。
Recent research has found that this virus is quite dangerous.
近排好多人都中咗病菌，要小心啲！
Many people have been infected with the virus recently, so be careful!
呢種病毒傳染力好強。
ni1 zung2 bing6 duk6 cyun4 jim6 lik6 hou2 koeng4.
This virus is highly infectious.
醫生話要小心呢種病毒。
ei1 sang1 waa6 jiu3 siu1 sam1 ni1 zung2 bing6 duk6.
The doctor said to be careful of this virus.

Yating and Kamming are talking about why Yating is staying home.

雅婷 Nga Ting

我唔舒服，可能係感染咗病毒。
ngo m syu fuk, ho nang hai gam jim zo bing duk
I don't feel well, maybe I've caught a virus.
家明 Ka Ming

你發唔發燒？
nei faat m faat siu
Do you have a fever?
雅婷 Nga Ting

有少少，所以我去睇醫生。
jau siu siu, so ji ngo heoi tai ji sang
A little, so I'm going to see a doctor.
家明 Ka Ming

好，快啲好返啦，雅婷。
hou, faai di hou faan laa, aa ting
Okay, get well soon, Yating.

Sources

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