气管

• Pinyin: qì guǎn
• Hanzi breakdown: 气 = 气 (air/breath); 管 = 竹 (bamboo) + 官 (official) (tube/pipe — bamboo pipe)

Meaning

Trachea; windpipe. The cartilaginous tube carrying air from the larynx to the bronchi. Also used for air pipes or tubes in technical contexts.

A medical and anatomical term. Appears frequently in contexts of respiratory health and biology. Key condition: 气管炎 (tracheitis/bronchitis) is widely used in Chinese medical vocabulary. In engineering, 气管 can also refer to air ducts or gas pipes.

Examples

1. 长期吸烟会严重损伤气管黏膜，导致慢性气管炎等多种呼吸道疾病。 Long-term smoking can severely damage the lining of the trachea, leading to chronic bronchitis and many other respiratory diseases.
2. 医生检查发现异物卡在患儿的气管处，立即实施了紧急取异物手术。 The doctor found that a foreign object was lodged in the child’s trachea and immediately performed emergency surgery to remove it.
3. 气管切开术是应对严重上呼吸道阻塞的重要急救外科手术之一。 A tracheotomy is one of the key emergency surgical procedures for severe upper-airway obstruction.

Usage Guide

Context: medicine, biology, health

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 秋冬气温骤降，老年人应特别注意气管保暖，积极预防气管炎的发作。(When temperatures plummet in autumn and winter, the elderly should pay special attention to keeping the trachea warm to prevent bronchitis attacks.)
• 儿童气管较成人细窄，一旦有异物吸入，须立即就医进行专业处理。(Children's tracheas are narrower than those of adults; once a foreign body is inhaled, immediate professional medical attention is required.)

Don't Say

• 我的气管在说话 — 气管 is an anatomical structure, not an agent of speech; use 嗓子/声带 when referring to vocal organs

Origin & History

气 (air/breath) + 管 (tube/pipe) — air-carrying tube

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal