唾液

• Pinyin: tuò yè
• Hanzi breakdown: 唾 = 口 (mouth) + 垂 (hang down) — liquid hanging from the mouth; 液 = 氵(water) + 夜 (night, phonetic)

Meaning

Saliva; spit. The fluid secreted by salivary glands in the mouth, essential for digestion and oral health.

The formal and medical term for saliva — used in scientific, medical, and educational contexts. In everyday speech, people more commonly say 口水. 唾液 appears in discussions of digestion (唾液淀粉酶 = salivary amylase), forensics (DNA testing), and medicine.

Examples

1. 唾液中含有淀粉酶，能帮助分解食物中的淀粉。 Saliva contains amylase, which helps break down starch in food.
2. 法医从现场提取了犯罪嫌疑人遗留的唾液样本进行DNA鉴定。 The forensic investigator extracted a saliva sample left by the suspect at the scene for DNA identification.
3. 紧张时口腔会分泌更少唾液，导致口干舌燥。 When nervous, the mouth secretes less saliva, causing a dry mouth.

Usage Guide

Context: medical, scientific, forensic

Tone: technical

Do Say

• 唾液分泌减少会导致龋齿风险上升。(Reduced saliva secretion leads to an increased risk of tooth decay.)
• 研究人员通过分析唾液样本检测压力激素水平。(Researchers detect stress hormone levels by analysing saliva samples.)

Don't Say

• 在日常闲聊中用'唾液'代替'口水' (唾液 sounds clinical and formal; in casual conversation use 口水)

Origin & History

Compound of 唾 (spit — 口 mouth + 垂 hang down, suggesting dripping) + 液 (liquid, fluid). Together mean 'the liquid that drips from the mouth.'

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal