Chinese word

健康

Pronunciation

Pinyinjiàn kāng

Meaning

  • nounhealth

Example

我想保持健康。wǒ xiǎng bǎo chí jiàn kāng

I want to stay in good health.

Illustration for 健康 (health)

More examples

他的健康很好。tā de jiàn kāng hěn hǎo

His health is very good.

Core concept

A body and mind in good working order, with well-being that supports ordinary daily life.

Common phrases

  • 保持健康bǎo chí jiàn kāng

    maintain health

  • 身体健康shēn tǐ jiàn kāng

    physical health

Similar words

身体shēn tǐ: The human body as a whole, including its exterior and internal organs.

Definition in Chinese

身体和心理处于没有疾病或不适、机能良好且能进行日常活动的状态。shēn tǐ hé xīn lǐ chǔ yú méi yǒu jí bìng huò bú shì jī néng liáng hǎo qiě néng jìn xíng rì cháng huó dòng de zhuàng tài

Word origin

健康 (jiànkāng, "health") joins 健 (jiàn, "strong") with 康 (kāng, "well and peaceful"), linking physical strength with a calm, trouble-free condition.

Usage tips

  • 健康 (jiànkāng, "health") can describe a person, food, habit, or lifestyle directly, while English usually chooses healthy or wholesome for those descriptions and health for the condition itself.

Other meanings

  • healthyadjective
  • wholesomeadjective

Opposites

Related words

  • 健康状况jiàn kāng zhuàng kuànghealth conditionnoun

Word lists with this word