流感

• Pinyin: liú gǎn
• Hanzi breakdown: 流 = 氵(water) + 㐬, flow; 感 = 咸 + 心, feeling/sense (short for 感冒)

Meaning

Influenza; the flu. A contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses.

Short for 流行性感冒. Common compounds: 流感病毒 (flu virus), 流感疫苗 (flu vaccine), 流感季节 (flu season), 禽流感 (avian flu). Differs from 感冒 (common cold) in severity and cause.

Examples

1. 每年秋冬季节是流感的高发期，要注意预防。 Every autumn and winter is the peak season for the flu; pay attention to prevention.
2. 医生建议老年人每年接种流感疫苗。 Doctors recommend that elderly people get vaccinated against the flu every year.
3. 他得了流感，高烧不退，请了一个星期的病假。 He got the flu with a persistent high fever and took a week of sick leave.

Usage Guide

Context: health, medicine, public health

Tone: informative

Do Say

• 你是不是得流感了？(Did you get the flu?)
• 流感和普通感冒不一样。(The flu is different from the common cold.)

Don't Say

• 把流感和感冒混为一谈 (流感 is more severe with high fever; 感冒 often refers to milder colds)

Origin & History

Abbreviation of 流行性感冒 (epidemic cold). 流行 (epidemic/popular) + 感冒 (cold).

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal