癌

• Pinyin: ái
• Hanzi breakdown: 癌 = 疒 (illness radical) + 嵒 (rocky/phonetic)

Meaning

Cancer (the disease); carcinoma.

The medical term for malignant tumors. Often used as a suffix with body part names (肺癌 lung cancer, 胃癌 stomach cancer). A serious and sensitive topic in Chinese culture.

Examples

1. 早期发现癌的话，治愈的可能性会大很多。 If cancer is detected early, the chances of a cure are much higher.
2. 研究表明，吸烟是导致肺癌的主要因素之一。 Studies show that smoking is one of the main factors leading to lung cancer.
3. 他被确诊为癌之后，整个家庭都陷入了困境。 After he was diagnosed with cancer, the whole family fell into difficulty.

Usage Guide

Context: medical, health

Tone: serious

Do Say

• 定期体检有助于早期发现癌。(Regular check-ups help detect cancer early.)
• 现代医学对很多癌都有有效的治疗方法。(Modern medicine has effective treatments for many cancers.)

Don't Say

• 在非医学语境下随便用'癌'开玩笑 (Don't joke about 癌 casually — it's a serious and sensitive topic)

Origin & History

A relatively modern character created to translate the medical term 'cancer.' Composed of 疒 (illness) and 嵒 (rocky mountain, phonetic), suggesting a hard growth.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal