Chinese word

胸闷

Pronunciation

Pinyinxiōng mēn

Meaning

  • adjectivefeel short of breath

Example

胸闷的时候，站起来深呼吸可以缓解。xiōng mēn de shí hòu zhàn qǐ lái shēn hū xī ké yǐ huán jiě

When you feel short of breath, standing up and taking deep breaths can relieve it.

Illustration for 胸闷 (feel short of breath)

More examples

他一紧张就会感到胸闷，常去散步缓解。tā yì jǐn zhāng jiù huì gǎn dào xiōng mēn cháng qù sàn bù huán jiě

When he gets nervous, he feels short of breath and often goes for a walk to relieve it.

Core concept

Pressure or stuffiness in the chest that turns breathing into an effort.

Common phrases

  • 胸闷气短xiōng mēn qì duǎn

    feel tight in the chest and short of breath

  • 感到胸闷gǎn dào xiōng mēn

    feel short of breath

Similar words

呼吸困难hū xī kùn nán: Being unable to breathe smoothly because breathing in or out feels difficult.
气短qì duǎn: Feeling unable to take full, easy breaths.

Definition in Chinese

胸部感到压迫或闷胀，呼吸不顺或觉得呼吸不够畅快，常伴有心慌或乏力。xiōng bù gǎn dào yā pò huò mèn zhàng hū xī bú shùn huò jué de hū xī bú gòu chàng kuài cháng bàn yǒu xīn huāng huò fá lì

Word origin

胸 (xiōng, "chest") combines with 闷 (mēn, "stifled or stuffy") to form a direct body-based expression for a chest that feels closed in.

Usage tips

  • English speakers often use breathless for many causes, including exercise or emotion, while this Chinese word points more specifically to an uncomfortable sensation centered in the chest.

Other meanings

  • feel tight in the chestadjective

Opposites

Word lists with this word