Chinese word

污染

Pronunciation

Pinyinwū rǎn

Meaning

  • verbpollute

Example

工厂把河流污染了。gōng chǎng bǎ hé liú wū rǎn le

The factory polluted the river.

Illustration for 污染 (pollute)

More examples

农业过度使用农药，使地下水被污染了。nóng yè guò dù shǐ yòng nóng yào shǐ dì xià shuǐ bèi wū rǎn le

Excessive use of pesticides in agriculture polluted the groundwater.

Core concept

Something becomes tainted when harmful material spreads into it and damages what it is meant to be or do.

Common phrases

  • 污染环境wū rǎn huán jìng

    pollute the environment

  • 污染空气wū rǎn kōng qì

    pollute the air

  • 污染水源wū rǎn shuǐ yuán

    pollute water sources

Similar words

玷污diàn wū: Staining something clean or honorable and harming its value or reputation.
侵染qīn rǎn: Spreading a disease-causing agent or harmful substance into a body or object.
掺入càn rù: Adding an impure substance to a mixture and reducing its quality.

Definition in Chinese

使环境、物体或抽象事物受到有害影响，通常指有害物质渗入或扩散，导致性质或功能下降。shǐ huán jìng wù tǐ huò chōu xiàng shì wù shòu dào yǒu hài yíng xiǎng tōng cháng zhǐ yǒu hài wù zhì shèn rù huò kuò sàn dǎo zhì xìng zhì huò gōng néng xià jiàng

Word origin

污染 (wūrǎn, "pollute") is built from 污 (wū, "dirty") and 染 (rǎn, "to stain or dye"), a combination that links dirt with a lasting change to the thing it enters.

Usage tips

  • The word extends beyond air, water, and food to abstract targets such as culture or ideas when a harmful influence spreads through them and weakens their value.

Other meanings

  • pollutionnoun

Opposites

Related words

  • 污染物wū rǎn wùpollutantnoun
  • 污染源wū rǎn yuánsource of pollutionnoun

Word lists with this word