发炎

• Pinyin: fā yán
• Hanzi breakdown: 发 = develop; 炎 = two 火 (fire) stacked — inflammation like fire

Meaning

To become inflamed; inflammation. A medical condition where body tissue becomes red, swollen, hot, and often painful.

Common medical term for various inflammatory conditions: 嗓子发炎 (throat inflammation), 伤口发炎 (wound infection), 关节发炎 (joint inflammation). Can be caused by infection, injury, or autoimmune response. Related: 消炎 (reduce inflammation), 消炎药 (anti-inflammatory medicine).

Examples

1. 这几天嗓子发炎，说话都疼，医生让我多喝水少说话。 My throat has been inflamed these past few days and it hurts to talk; the doctor told me to drink more water and talk less.
2. 伤口没处理好，开始发炎化脓了，得赶紧去医院。 The wound wasn't treated properly and started getting infected and festering; I need to go to the hospital quickly.
3. 过敏导致他的皮肤发炎起疹子，痒得受不了。 Allergies caused his skin to become inflamed and break out in a rash — he was unbearably itchy.

Usage Guide

Context: medical, health, everyday

Tone: clinical

Do Say

• 我扁桃体发炎了，得吃点消炎药。(My tonsils are inflamed; I need to take some anti-inflammatory medicine.)
• 伤口发炎了要及时处理。(If a wound gets infected, treat it promptly.)

Don't Say

• 用发炎形容非医学的'火气大' (Don't use 发炎 for metaphorical anger or frustration — it's specifically medical; use 上火 for the TCM concept of internal heat)

Origin & History

Compound of 发 (produce, develop) + 炎 (flame, inflammation). 炎 is two fires stacked, representing heat and inflammation.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal