鼻涕

• Pinyin: bí tì
• Hanzi breakdown: 鼻 = pictograph of nose; 涕 = 氵(water) + 弟 (phonetic)

Meaning

Nasal mucus; snot. The liquid secreted by the nose.

The mucus that comes from the nose, especially when one has a cold or is crying. 流鼻涕 means to have a runny nose. 擤鼻涕 means to blow one's nose. Common in everyday health-related conversations.

Examples

1. 小孩感冒了，鼻涕流个不停，赶紧给他擦擦。 The child caught a cold and his nose won't stop running — quick, wipe it for him.
2. 他一边哭一边流鼻涕，样子狼狈极了。 He was crying with snot running down his face — quite a sorry sight.
3. 过敏季节一到，我就打喷嚏流鼻涕，特别难受。 When allergy season hits, I sneeze and get a runny nose constantly — it's miserable.

Usage Guide

Context: health, everyday, children

Tone: casual

Do Say

• 你在流鼻涕，用纸巾擦一下。(You have a runny nose — wipe it with a tissue.)
• 他感冒了，一直在擤鼻涕。(He has a cold and keeps blowing his nose.)

Don't Say

• 在正式场合详细讨论鼻涕 (Don't discuss 鼻涕 in detail in formal settings — just say 感冒了 if needed)

Origin & History

鼻 (nose) + 涕 (tears/mucus). 涕 originally meant tears but now commonly refers to nasal discharge.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal