伤势

• Pinyin: shāng shì
• Hanzi breakdown: 伤 = 亻(person) + phonetic shāng = wounded person; 势 = 执 (grasp/control) + 力 (strength/power) = force/condition/state — 伤势: the state or condition of a wound

Meaning

The condition or severity of an injury; the medical status of a wound or wounds, especially in the context of a patient's recovery or prognosis.

Exclusively used in medical, journalistic, and emergency contexts to describe the state of a physical injury. Common collocations: 伤势严重 (serious injuries), 伤势稳定 (stable condition), 伤势好转 (improving condition), 伤势危急 (critical condition). Not applicable to emotional hurt — use 心理创伤 for psychological wounds.

Examples

1. 医院发言人表示，事故中被送来的三名伤者目前伤势稳定，其中一人已脱离生命危险，另外两人仍在接受重症监护治疗。 A hospital spokesperson said that the three injured people brought in from the accident are currently in stable condition; one is no longer in critical danger, while the other two are still receiving intensive care.
2. 消防员在扑救大火时不慎被倒塌的横梁砸中，伤势较重，经紧急手术处理后转至重症病房，目前生命体征平稳。 A firefighter was hit by a collapsing beam while putting out a major fire and was seriously injured; after emergency surgery, he was transferred to the ICU and his vital signs are currently stable.
3. 随着战事升级，野战医疗队每天接收的伤员数量大幅增加，部分士兵伤势复杂，需要多科室联合会诊才能制定治疗方案。 As the fighting intensifies, field medical teams are receiving far more wounded each day, and some soldiers have complex injuries that require multidisciplinary consultations to develop treatment plans.

Usage Guide

Context: medicine, news reporting, military, emergency services

Tone: serious

Do Say

• 据急救中心通报，列车脱轨已致二十余人受伤，其中五人伤势危重，已转往上级医院救治。(According to the emergency center, the train derailment has injured more than twenty people, five of whom are critically injured and have been transferred to a higher-level hospital for treatment.)
• 这名运动员赛季中途膝部严重受伤，队医判断伤势不宜再赛，建议停训休养并进一步检查。(The athlete suffered a serious knee injury midway through the season, and the team doctor judged that the injury was not suitable for continued competition, recommending that he stop training, rest, and undergo further examination.)

Don't Say

• 他的心灵伤势很重 — 伤势 applies only to physical injuries, not emotional or psychological hurt; use 心理创伤严重 or 内心受到严重伤害 for psychological wounds

Origin & History

伤 (injury/wound) + 势 (condition/situation/momentum) = the condition or state of one's injuries

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal