摄氏度

• Pinyin: shè shì dù
• Hanzi breakdown: 摄 = 扌+ 聂 (to take, to absorb — used as phonetic in translation); 氏 = clan, surname; 度 = 广 + 廿 + 又 (degree, measure)

Meaning

Degrees Celsius; the unit of temperature in the Celsius scale, where water freezes at 0°C and boils at 100°C.

The standard unit of temperature used in China and most of the world. Named after Swedish astronomer Anders Celsius. Commonly abbreviated as °C in scientific and everyday usage. Contrast with 华氏度 (degrees Fahrenheit).

Examples

1. 今天的最高气温是三十七摄氏度，建议市民减少户外活动。 Today’s high will be 37°C, and residents are advised to limit outdoor activities.
2. 炉温需要保持在两百摄氏度以上，才能确保食品安全。 The oven temperature needs to stay above 200°C to ensure food safety.
3. 水在一百摄氏度时沸腾，这是众所周知的物理常识。 Water boils at 100°C—this is a well-known basic fact of physics.

Usage Guide

Context: science, weather, cooking, medicine

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 实验要求将溶液冷却至零下二十摄氏度。(The experiment requires cooling the solution to minus twenty degrees Celsius.)
• 人体正常体温约为三十七摄氏度。(Normal human body temperature is approximately 37 degrees Celsius.)

Don't Say

• 将摄氏度与华氏度混用 — when precision matters, always specify which scale you are using

Origin & History

摄 (from 摄尔修斯, transliteration of Celsius) + 氏 (surname honorific) + 度 (degree)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal