Chinese word

痰

Pronunciation

Pinyintán

Meaning

  • nounphlegm

Example

医生让他把痰送去化验。yī shēng ràng tā bǎ tán sòng qù huà yàn

The doctor told him to send his phlegm for testing.

Illustration for 痰 (phlegm)

More examples

他早晨起来常感觉嗓子有痰，吞咽时不舒服。tā zǎo chén qǐ lái cháng gǎn jué sǎng zi yǒu tán tūn yàn shí bù shū fú

He often feels phlegm in his throat when he gets up in the morning, and swallowing is uncomfortable.

Core concept

Thick mucus from the breathing passages that the body clears upward by coughing.

Common phrases

  • 咳嗽带痰ké sòu dài tán

    coughing with phlegm

  • 痰多tán duō

    a large amount of phlegm

  • 痰中带血tán zhōng dài xuè

    phlegm mixed with blood

Similar words

唾液tuò yè: The watery fluid produced inside the mouth.
鼻涕bí tì: Mucus produced inside the nose and coming out through the nose.
粘液nián yè: A slippery body fluid that helps moisten and protect internal surfaces.
分泌物fēn mì wù: A substance, often liquid or sticky, released by glands or cells in the body.

Definition in Chinese

呼吸道产生的黏稠分泌物，常在咳嗽或清嗓时被咳出或吐出，其颜色和性状可反映呼吸道的感染或炎症情况。hū xī dào chǎn shēng de nián chóu fēn mì wù cháng zài ké sòu huò qīng sǎng shí bèi ké chū huò tǔ chū qí yán sè hé xìng zhuàng kě fǎn yìng hū xī dào de gán rǎn huò yán zhèng qíng kuàng

Word origin

In 痰 (tán, "phlegm"), 疒 (nè, "illness") marks a bodily condition, while 炎 (yán, "flame") mainly supplies the pronunciation.

Usage tips

  • When discussing a cough with a doctor, color, amount, and how easily the material comes up are useful details to mention with this word.

Related words

  • 痰液tán yèphlegmnoun
  • 咯痰gē táncough up phlegmverb

Word lists with this word