血

• Pinyin: xiě
• Hanzi breakdown: 血 = a drop (丿) over a vessel (皿), depicting blood in a ritual container

Meaning

Blood. The red fluid circulating in the body.

Pronounced xiě in colloquial speech and xuè in formal or literary contexts. Common compounds include 血液 (blood, medical), 流血 (to bleed), 血压 (blood pressure), 血型 (blood type), and 献血 (to donate blood). Figuratively used in expressions about passion or kinship: 热血 (hot-blooded) and 血缘 (blood relation).

Examples

1. 他的手受伤了，流了很多血。 His hand was injured and bled a lot.
2. 你知道自己的血型吗？ Do you know your blood type?
3. 医生建议他定期检查血压。 The doctor recommended he check his blood pressure regularly.

Usage Guide

Context: medical, everyday, health

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 我怕看见血。(I'm afraid of seeing blood.)
• 他去医院验血了。(He went to the hospital for a blood test.)

Don't Say

• 我的血很红。(Stating that blood is red is redundant. Use 血 in meaningful medical or descriptive contexts, not for obvious facts.)

Origin & History

血 is a pictograph. The character depicts a vessel (皿) containing a drop of blood on top, representing a ritual offering bowl with sacrificial blood.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal