消毒

• Pinyin: xiāo dú
• Hanzi breakdown: 消 = 氵 (water) + 肖 (resemble), meaning to eliminate; 毒 = 毋 (not) + 母 (mother) modified, meaning poison

Meaning

To disinfect; to sterilize; disinfection. The process of killing harmful microorganisms.

Used in medical, household, and public health contexts. Common collocations include 消毒液 (disinfectant), 消毒柜 (sterilizing cabinet), 酒精消毒 (alcohol disinfection), and 紫外线消毒 (UV sterilization). Became especially common vocabulary after COVID-19.

Examples

1. 医院的手术器具都要经过严格消毒。 All surgical instruments in hospitals must undergo strict sterilization.
2. 请用酒精给伤口消毒。 Please disinfect the wound with alcohol.
3. 疫情期间，大家都养成了勤消毒的习惯。 During the pandemic, everyone developed the habit of frequent disinfection.

Usage Guide

Context: health, hygiene

Tone: practical

Do Say

• 出门回来要记得给手消毒。(Remember to disinfect your hands when you come back from outside.)
• 餐具已经消毒过了。(The tableware has been sterilized.)

Don't Say

• 我要消毒我的心 (消毒 is for physical disinfection — for emotional cleansing, use other expressions)

Origin & History

Compound of 消 (to eliminate) and 毒 (poison, toxin), literally meaning to eliminate toxins.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal