瘟疫

• Pinyin: wēn yì
• Hanzi breakdown: 瘟 = 疒 + 昷 (epidemic sickness — illness that spreads with warmth); 疫 = 疒 + 殳 (infectious disease — sickness spread by force)

Meaning

Plague; pestilence; epidemic disease. Refers to a highly contagious and often deadly infectious disease spreading widely across a population.

Historically significant in Chinese history, with numerous recorded outbreaks. In modern usage, refers broadly to major epidemic events. Used in medical, historical, and literary contexts. Carries a grave, serious connotation — more severe and archaic-sounding than 传染病.

Examples

1. 中世纪欧洲曾爆发大规模瘟疫，夺去了数以百万计人的生命。 In the Middle Ages, Europe experienced massive plague outbreaks that claimed the lives of millions of people.
2. 政府迅速采取隔离措施，成功遏制了瘟疫的进一步蔓延。 The government quickly implemented quarantine measures and successfully contained the further spread of the plague.
3. 历史上每一次大规模瘟疫都深刻改变了人类社会的结构与走向。 Throughout history, every major plague outbreak has profoundly reshaped the structure and direction of human society.

Usage Guide

Context: medicine, history, public health

Tone: serious

Do Say

• 古代一旦爆发瘟疫，往往造成大批人口死亡，整个社会陷入动荡不安。(In ancient times, an outbreak of plague often caused mass deaths and plunged entire societies into turmoil.)
• 现代医学和公共卫生体系的建立，大大降低了瘟疫对人类的威胁。(The establishment of modern medicine and public health systems has greatly reduced the threat of plagues to humanity.)

Don't Say

• 感冒是一种小瘟疫 — for ordinary illness, use 感冒 or 小病; 瘟疫 is reserved for large-scale, life-threatening epidemic diseases, not minor ailments

Origin & History

瘟 (epidemic sickness, pestilence) + 疫 (infectious disease)

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient to modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal