遗体

• Pinyin: yí tǐ
• Hanzi breakdown: 遗 = 辶 + 贵 (movement + precious — left behind); 体 = 人 + 本 (person + root — the body, the physical form)

Meaning

Mortal remains; the body of a deceased person. A respectful, formal term used in official, medical, and journalistic contexts.

A respectful euphemism for 尸体 (corpse), used when referring to the deceased with dignity — typically in news reports, official notices, and medical settings. Common collocations: 告别遗体 (to pay last respects), 遗体捐献 (body donation), 遗体火化 (cremation). Never used lightly or informally.

Examples

1. 遇难者遗体已由搜救队从废墟中依次转移，统一移送至殡仪馆等待家属认领。 The victims’ remains have been transferred from the rubble one by one by the rescue team and sent collectively to the funeral home to await identification by their families.
2. 这位院士生前立下遗嘱，将遗体无偿捐献给所在医学院用于教学研究，令同事深感敬佩。 The academician left a will to donate his body free of charge to his medical school for teaching and research, earning deep admiration from his colleagues.
3. 外交部已就本国公民遗体的跨国转运事宜与对方领事馆展开交涉，力求尽早将其运返国内。 The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been in talks with the other side’s consulate about the cross-border transport of the citizen’s remains, working to bring them back to the country as soon as possible.

Usage Guide

Context: funeral, journalism, medicine, diplomacy

Tone: solemn

Do Say

• 得知科学家去世后，国家领导人立即致唁电，并派人前往医院向遗体告别。(After learning of the scientist's death, the national leader immediately sent a condolence telegram and sent someone to the hospital to say farewell to the remains.)
• 自愿参与遗体捐献登记的公民人数近年来持续增长，这一趋势在一定程度上反映了公众对医学教育事业重要性认识的不断深化。(The number of citizens voluntarily registering for body donation has grown steadily in recent years; this trend reflects, to a certain extent, the public's deepening understanding of the importance of medical education.)

Don't Say

• 他的遗体昨天去世了 — 遗体 already refers to the body after death; saying 遗体去世 is redundant; simply say 他昨天去世了 or 其遗体昨日被发现

Origin & History

遗 (left behind/bequeathed) + 体 (body — 人 person + 本 root/foundation, the physical form of a person)

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal