胎儿

• Pinyin: tāi ér
• Hanzi breakdown: 胎 = 月 (flesh) + 台 (phonetic); 儿 = 人 + 儿 legs (child)

Meaning

Fetus; unborn baby. Medical and everyday term for a baby before birth.

The standard term for an unborn child from eight weeks after conception until birth. Used in medical, legal, and everyday contexts. More formal than 宝宝 when discussing pregnancy.

Examples

1. 定期产检可以监测胎儿的发育情况。 Regular prenatal check-ups can monitor the development of the fetus.
2. 医生说胎儿一切正常，让她放心。 The doctor said the fetus is perfectly normal and told her not to worry.
3. 孕期吸烟会严重影响胎儿的健康。 Smoking during pregnancy seriously affects the health of the fetus.

Usage Guide

Context: medical, pregnancy

Tone: clinical

Do Say

• 胎儿发育正常。(The fetus is developing normally.)
• 这对胎儿有影响吗？(Will this affect the fetus?)

Don't Say

• 称已出生的婴儿为'胎儿' (胎儿 is only for unborn babies — after birth, use 婴儿 or 宝宝)

Origin & History

胎 means fetus or womb, 儿 means child. Together: fetus.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal