Chinese word

肠胃

Pronunciation

Pinyincháng wèi

Meaning

nounstomach and intestines

Example

别喝太多冷水，肠胃会不舒服。bié hē tài duō léng shuǐ cháng wèi huì bù shū fú

Don't drink too much cold water, or your stomach and intestines will feel uncomfortable.

Illustration for 肠胃 (stomach and intestines)

More examples

我昨天吃坏东西，肠胃疼了一整夜。wǒ zuó tiān chī huài dōng xi cháng wèi téng le yì zhěng yè

I ate something bad yesterday, and my stomach and intestines hurt all night.

Core concept

The connected digestive system that handles food from the stomach through the intestines.

Common phrases

肠胃不舒服cháng wèi bù shū fú
stomach and intestinal discomfort
肠胃疼cháng wèi téng
stomach and intestinal pain
吃肠胃药chī cháng wèi yào
take gastrointestinal medicine

Similar words

肚子dǔ zi: The belly or abdomen in casual speech, especially for everyday discomfort.
胃wèi: The organ that stores food and starts breaking it down.
肠cháng: The tube-like intestinal organ that absorbs nutrients and sends the remaining contents onward.

Definition in Chinese

指参与消化与吸收的胃与肠这一整体，既可指解剖学上的器官，也可泛指消化功能失调的情况。zhǐ cān yù xiāo huà yǔ xī shōu de wèi yǔ cháng zhè yì zhéng tǐ jì kě zhǐ jiě pōu xué shàng de qì guān yě kě fàn zhǐ xiāo huà gōng néng shī tiáo de qíng kuàng

Word origin

The compound 肠 (cháng, "intestine") + 胃 (wèi, "stomach") joins the names of two connected organs because Chinese treats them as one digestive area.

Usage tips

English often separates stomach, gut, and digestion into different everyday expressions, while this Chinese noun offers one compact topic for the whole digestive area.

Related words

肠胃炎cháng wèi yángastroenteritisnoun
肠胃病cháng wèi bìnggastrointestinal diseasenoun