维生素
wéishēngsù
The English word "vitamins" is translated into Chinese as 维生素 (wéishēngsù).
维生素 refers to organic compounds found in food that the body needs in small amounts to stay healthy.
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of the character 维 (wéi), which means to maintain or uphold.
How does it change in a sentence?
In Chinese, 维生素 is an uncountable noun and does not change its form to indicate plurality.
How do you pronounce it?
wéishēngsù
Did you know?
- When referring to specific vitamins, such as Vitamin C, Chinese speakers omit the word 'vitamin' and simply say 维C (wéi C). This hybrid of a Chinese character and a Latin letter is standard in both speech and writing.
- In Chinese, the character 素 (sù) in 维生素 is also the primary word used to describe 'vegetarianism'. This reflects a linguistic connection between the concept of plant-based diets and essential nutrients.
- While 维生素 is the scientific term, many Chinese speakers use the shorthand 维他命 (wéitāmìng) in daily conversation. This alternative is a phonetic loanword directly mimicking the sound of 'vitamin'.
Examples in context
- 水果富含维生素和矿物质。Fruits are rich in vitamins and minerals.This sentence is useful for mentioning that fruits are rich in 维生素.Tatoeba #9788833 by Ivanovb, translation #12649307 by Enzo
- 我每天都吃维生素。I take vitamins every day.
- 我需要买些补品。I need to buy some vitamins/supplements.
- 这些蔬菜含有丰富的维生素。Zhèxiē shūcài hányǒu fēngfù de wéishēngsù.These vegetables are rich in vitamins.
Example conversation
A conversation between two friends discussing health and diet.
- 雨婷 Yuting浩然，你最近身体好吗？Hàorán, nǐ zuìjìn shēntǐ hǎo ma?Haoran, have you been feeling well lately?
- 浩然 Haoran不太好，我觉得缺维生素了。Bù tài hǎo, wǒ juéde quē wéishēngsù le.Not really, I feel like I'm lacking vitamins.
- 雨婷 Yuting那你应该多吃新鲜水果。Nà nǐ yīnggāi duō chī xīnxiān shuǐguǒ.Then you should eat more fresh fruit.
- 浩然 Haoran谢谢你的建议，雨婷。Xièxiè nǐ de jiànyì, Yǔtíng.Thanks for the advice, Yuting.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
