昏迷

• Pinyin: hūn mí
• Hanzi breakdown: 昏 = 氏 + 日 (clan/low + sun, dusk/dim/confused); 迷 = 辶+ 米 (movement + rice/grain, lost/confused)

Meaning

To be in a coma or state of unconsciousness; to lose consciousness due to illness, injury, or other medical causes.

Refers to a medical state of prolonged unconsciousness from which a person cannot be easily awakened. Distinct from 晕倒 (to suddenly faint) in that 昏迷 implies a deeper or longer loss of consciousness. Common in emergency medicine, trauma, and critical care contexts.

Examples

1. 事故发生后，伤者已陷入深度昏迷，救援人员立即将其紧急送往最近的创伤救治中心。 After the accident, the injured person fell into a deep coma, and rescuers rushed them to the nearest trauma center.
2. 患者在手术后持续昏迷长达三天，医护人员在此期间对其进行了全天候的密切监护。 After surgery, the patient remained unconscious for three days, during which the medical staff monitored them closely around the clock.
3. 大量饮酒导致酒精中毒后昏迷的情况时有发生，严重时可危及生命，必须立即送医救治。 Coma from alcohol poisoning after heavy drinking is not uncommon; in severe cases it can be life-threatening and requires immediate medical care.

Usage Guide

Context: medicine, emergency, healthcare

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 急救人员赶到现场时，患者已经陷入昏迷状态，脉搏微弱，情况危急，必须立即采取紧急医疗措施加以救治。(When emergency personnel arrived at the scene, the patient had already fallen into a coma with a weak pulse — the situation was critical and immediate emergency medical measures had to be taken.)
• 经过医疗团队连续数十小时的全力抢救，这名原本深度昏迷的患者终于恢复了意识，家属们悬着的心也随之落了地。(After the medical team worked non-stop for dozens of hours to save his life, the patient who had been in a deep coma finally regained consciousness, and the hearts of his family members that had been hanging in suspense finally settled.)

Don't Say

• 昏迷 for ordinary sleepiness or drowsiness — use 困倦 or 昏昏欲睡; 昏迷 refers specifically to a pathological state of unconsciousness requiring medical attention, not normal tiredness

Origin & History

昏 (dusk/dim/confused) + 迷 (lost/dazed) — confused and lost in consciousness

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal