细菌

• Pinyin: xì jūn
• Hanzi breakdown: 细 = 纟(silk) + 田 (field), meaning fine; 菌 = 艹 (grass) + 囷 (round granary), originally meaning mushroom, extended to microorganisms

Meaning

Bacteria; germs. Microscopic single-celled organisms that can cause disease or perform beneficial functions.

Used in both scientific and everyday contexts. While technically bacteria are distinct from viruses (病毒), in casual speech 细菌 is sometimes used loosely to mean any germ. Common collocations: 细菌感染 (bacterial infection), 杀菌 (sterilize).

Examples

1. 勤洗手可以有效减少手上细菌的数量。 Washing hands frequently can effectively reduce the number of bacteria on your hands.
2. 这种抗生素对多种细菌都有很好的杀灭效果。 This antibiotic has excellent killing effects on various types of bacteria.
3. 并不是所有细菌都有害，有些对人体消化很有帮助。 Not all bacteria are harmful; some are very helpful for human digestion.

Usage Guide

Context: health, science, everyday, medicine

Tone: informative

Do Say

• 食物变质是细菌繁殖的结果。(Food spoilage is the result of bacterial growth.)
• 这里细菌很多，要注意卫生。(There are many bacteria here, pay attention to hygiene.)

Don't Say

• 我感冒了因为有细菌 — 普通感冒通常是病毒引起的，不是细菌

Origin & History

Compound of 细 (fine, minute) + 菌 (fungus, bacteria). The term was introduced as a translation of 'bacterium' during the modernization of Chinese scientific vocabulary.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal