尼龙

• Pinyin: ní lóng
• Hanzi breakdown: 尼 = 尸(body/lying down) + 匕(spoon/transformation) — phonetic; 龙 = pictograph of a dragon — phonetic in this compound, not semantic

Meaning

Nylon; a synthetic polyamide material used in textiles, ropes, and a wide range of manufactured goods.

A transliteration of the English 'nylon.' Introduced into Chinese as a loanword referring to the synthetic polymer material pioneered by DuPont. Common in textiles, materials science, and consumer goods contexts. 尼龙袜 (nylon stockings) and 尼龙绳 (nylon rope) are typical collocations.

Examples

1. 那个年代，一双尼龙袜是相当珍贵的礼物，普通工人往往要攒几个月的工资才能买到。 Back then, a pair of nylon stockings was a pretty precious gift—ordinary workers often had to save up for months to afford them.
2. 这根尼龙绳的强度远超传统麻绳，耐候性也更强，特别适合在户外恶劣环境中使用。 This nylon rope is far stronger than traditional hemp rope and much more weather-resistant, making it especially suitable for harsh outdoor conditions.
3. 随着合成纤维工业的兴起，尼龙等人造材料逐渐取代了传统的棉麻，彻底改变了纺织业的格局。 With the rise of the synthetic fiber industry, man-made materials like nylon gradually replaced traditional cotton and hemp, completely reshaping the textile industry.

Usage Guide

Context: manufacturing, textiles, materials science, consumer goods, history

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 二十世纪中期，尼龙作为一种革命性的合成材料被广泛应用于军事装备和民用纺织品，极大地改变了人们的日常生活。(In the mid-twentieth century, nylon was widely applied as a revolutionary synthetic material in military equipment and civilian textiles, profoundly changing people's daily lives.)
• 与天然棉麻相比，尼龙具有更高的抗拉强度和耐磨性，但透气性较差，因此两类材料各有其适用场景。(Compared to natural cotton and linen, nylon has higher tensile strength and abrasion resistance but poorer breathability — so each type of material has its own appropriate applications.)

Don't Say

• 将'尼龙'与'涤纶'混用 — 尼龙 specifically refers to polyamide (nylon), while 涤纶 refers to polyester; they are different synthetic materials with distinct properties

Origin & History

尼龙 is a transliteration of English 'nylon,' coined by DuPont in the late 1930s. The Chinese characters are chosen for phonetic value (ní lóng ≈ nylon) rather than semantic meaning.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern (mid-20th century onward)

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal