毒品

• Pinyin: dú pǐn
• Hanzi breakdown: 毒 = 生 (life) + 母 (mother, phonetic) — poison; 品 = three 口 (mouths) stacked — product, goods, quality

Meaning

Drugs; narcotics; illegal drugs. Controlled substances that are addictive and harmful, prohibited by law.

Strictly refers to illegal narcotics, not medicine (药品) or general toxins (毒物). China has strict anti-drug policies, and 禁毒 (drug prohibition) campaigns are common. Related terms include 贩毒 (drug trafficking), 吸毒 (drug use), and 毒贩 (drug dealer).

Examples

1. 青少年要学会识别毒品的危害，远离不良诱惑。 Young people should learn to recognize the dangers of drugs and stay away from bad influences.
2. 警方破获了一起跨境贩卖毒品的大案，抓获嫌疑人十多名。 Police cracked a major cross-border drug trafficking case, arresting more than ten suspects.
3. 他因为吸食毒品被拘留，家人都很痛心。 He was detained for using drugs, and his family is heartbroken.

Usage Guide

Context: legal, news, education

Tone: serious

Do Say

• 毒品会毁掉一个人的健康和前途。(Drugs can destroy a person's health and future.)
• 国际社会一直在合作打击毒品犯罪。(The international community has been cooperating to combat drug crimes.)

Don't Say

• 把处方药或咖啡因叫毒品 (Don't call prescription medicine or caffeine 毒品 — it specifically means illegal narcotics)

Origin & History

Compound of 毒 (poison, toxic) + 品 (product, item). A modern term created to categorize illegal addictive substances.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal