胃

• Pinyin: wèi
• Hanzi breakdown: 胃 = 田 (field, representing food) + 月 (flesh radical), stomach organ

Meaning

Stomach; the digestive organ.

The organ responsible for digestion. Common in health-related discussions and everyday conversation about eating and digestion. Related terms include 胃口 (appetite), 胃病 (stomach ailment), and 养胃 (nourish the stomach). Taking care of one's stomach is an important concept in Chinese health culture.

Examples

1. 医生说他的胃有点问题，需要注意饮食。 The doctor said there's a problem with his stomach, and he needs to watch his diet.
2. 早上不吃早餐对胃不好。 Not eating breakfast is bad for your stomach.
3. 她胃不舒服，可能是昨晚吃太多了。 Her stomach is uncomfortable — maybe she ate too much last night.

Usage Guide

Context: health, body, everyday

Tone: casual

Do Say

• 胃疼。(Stomachache.)
• 养胃的食物。(Food that's good for the stomach.)

Don't Say

• 我的胃想吃饭 — say 我饿了 for being hungry; 胃 is the organ, not the feeling of hunger

Origin & History

Pictograph showing a bag-like organ (stomach) with 田 (field) representing the contents and 月 (flesh radical) indicating body part.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal