腹泻

• Pinyin: fù xiè
• Hanzi breakdown: 腹 = 月 + 复 (belly, abdomen); 泻 = 氵 + 写 (flow out, discharge)

Meaning

Diarrhoea; loose or watery stools. Can function as both a noun (the condition) and a verb (to have diarrhoea).

The standard clinical and formal term for diarrhoea, more precise than the colloquial 拉肚子. Common in medical consultations, pharmaceutical labelling, and public health materials. Key compounds: 急性腹泻 (acute diarrhoea), 旅行者腹泻 (travellers' diarrhoea), 腹泻症状 (diarrhoea symptoms). Often appears alongside 呕吐 (vomiting) in descriptions of gastrointestinal illness.

Examples

1. 食用不洁食物后，他出现了严重的腹泻和呕吐症状，被紧急送往医院接受补液治疗。 After eating contaminated food, he developed severe diarrhea and vomiting and was rushed to the hospital for IV fluids.
2. 婴幼儿腹泻是儿科门诊中最常见的病症之一，家长应注意及时补充水分和电解质。 Diarrhea in infants and young children is one of the most common conditions seen in pediatric clinics, so parents should promptly replace fluids and electrolytes.
3. 药品说明书明确指出，若服用后出现持续腹泻超过两天，应立即停药并就医。 The medication guide clearly states that if diarrhea persists for more than two days after taking it, you should stop the drug immediately and seek medical care.

Usage Guide

Context: medical, health, pharmaceutical

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 若患者出现发热伴腹泻症状，需进行粪便培养以排除细菌性感染的可能性。(If a patient presents with fever and diarrhoea, a stool culture should be performed to rule out the possibility of bacterial infection.)
• 出行前应了解目的地的饮食卫生状况，以降低旅行者腹泻的发生风险。(Before travelling, one should understand the food hygiene conditions at the destination to reduce the risk of travellers' diarrhoea.)

Don't Say

• 腹泻了一个想法 — 腹泻 is a medical term for a physical condition; use 倾泻 or 宣泄 for figurative outpouring of ideas or emotions

Origin & History

腹 (belly/abdomen) + 泻 (flow/discharge)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal