有毒

• Pinyin: yǒu dú
• Hanzi breakdown: 有 = 手 + 月, to have/possess; 毒 = 毋 + 母, poison

Meaning

Poisonous; toxic. Having the property of causing harm or death through chemical means.

Used for substances, plants, animals, or metaphorically for harmful relationships and content. Common collocations: 有毒物质 (toxic substance), 有毒气体 (toxic gas). Internet slang also uses 有毒 to describe addictive content.

Examples

1. 这种蘑菇有毒，千万不能吃。 This mushroom is poisonous — you absolutely must not eat it.
2. 工厂排放的有毒废水污染了河流。 The toxic wastewater discharged by the factory polluted the river.
3. 这款游戏太有毒了，让人停不下来。 This game is so addictive that you can't stop playing.

Usage Guide

Context: safety warnings, environment, internet slang

Tone: warning

Do Say

• 小心，这个有毒！(Careful, this is poisonous!)
• 有毒废弃物必须妥善处理。(Toxic waste must be disposed of properly.)

Don't Say

• 他是有毒的人 (For toxic personalities, say 他很毒 or 他是个有害的人, not 有毒的人)

Origin & History

Verb-object compound of 有 (to have) and 毒 (poison). Simple descriptive construction.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal