尿

• Pinyin: niào
• Hanzi breakdown: 尿 = 尸 (body, lying-down person radical) + 水 (water) — liquid expelled from the body

Meaning

Urine; to urinate. Used as both a noun (urine) and a verb (to urinate).

A common, neutral medical and everyday term for urine/urination. Used in clinical contexts: 尿检 (urine test), 尿糖 (urine sugar), 尿酸 (uric acid). Colloquially in 尿尿 (urinate, informal, used with children). More polite alternatives: 小便 (urinate/urine), 排尿 (medical). Not considered vulgar in Chinese — it is the standard term used in medical settings and everyday conversation.

Examples

1. 医生叮嘱患者每天多喝水、勤排尿，以预防尿路感染的发生。 The doctor advised the patient to drink more water and urinate frequently each day to prevent urinary tract infections.
2. 新生儿排尿频繁是正常的生理现象，家长无需过于担心，但若出现血尿应及时就医。 It’s normal for newborns to urinate frequently, so parents don’t need to worry too much; but if there’s blood in the urine, they should seek medical care promptly.
3. 体检项目包括尿常规检查，通过分析尿液成分可以初步筛查肾脏和泌尿系统的健康状况。 The checkup includes a routine urinalysis; analyzing the urine can provide an initial screening of kidney and urinary system health.

Usage Guide

Context: medicine, health, everyday life

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 在医学检查中，尿常规是一项基础而重要的项目，能够帮助医生发现肾炎、糖尿病、泌尿系统感染等多种疾病的早期迹象。(In medical examinations, a routine urinalysis is a basic but important test that can help doctors detect early signs of nephritis, diabetes, urinary tract infections, and various other conditions.)
• 运动后大量出汗会导致尿液颜色加深，这时应及时补充水分，以维持正常的肾脏代谢功能。(Profuse sweating after exercise causes the urine to darken in colour — at this point one should promptly replenish fluids to maintain normal kidney metabolic function.)

Don't Say

• 在正式书面语或医学报告中用'尿尿'代替'排尿'或'小便' — 尿尿 is an informal, child-directed reduplication; in formal and clinical contexts, use 排尿, 小便, or 泌尿 instead

Origin & History

尿 = 尸 (body radical) + 水 (water) — water/fluid from the body

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal