怀孕

• Pinyin: huái yùn
• Hanzi breakdown: 怀 = 忄+ 褱 (heart/carry within); 孕 = 乃 + 子 (contraction + child, nurturing life inside)

Meaning

To be pregnant; to carry an unborn child. The state of having a developing embryo or fetus in the womb.

The standard medical and everyday term for pregnancy in Chinese. Can function as a verb or descriptive phrase. Common in medical, family planning, and personal conversation contexts. 妊娠 is the formal clinical equivalent.

Examples

1. 医生确认她已经怀孕三个月了。 The doctor confirmed that she is three months pregnant.
2. 怀孕期间应当保持均衡饮食，避免过度劳累。 During pregnancy, you should maintain a balanced diet and avoid overexertion.
3. 她在怀孕后辞去了高强度的管理职位，专心照顾自己的健康。 After she became pregnant, she resigned from her high-intensity management position to focus on her health.

Usage Guide

Context: medical, family, health, personal

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 她怀孕七个月了，肚子已经非常显眼。(She is seven months pregnant, and her belly is already very visible.)
• 怀孕期间定期做产检是保障母婴健康的重要措施。(Regular prenatal check-ups during pregnancy are an important measure to safeguard the health of both mother and baby.)

Don't Say

• 怀孕 in clinical medical documentation where precision is required — use 妊娠 for formal clinical or legal records that demand the specialist term

Origin & History

怀 (carry/harbor within) + 孕 (pregnant/nurture life)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal