Meaning
卫生 refers to hygiene, health conditions, and cleanliness. It can describe both personal hygiene and public health standards. As a noun, it means 'hygiene' or 'sanitation'; as an adjective, it means 'hygienic' or 'sanitary'. The word is commonly used in everyday contexts relating to cleanliness and health practices.
Usage
Native speakers use 卫生 frequently in contexts involving cleanliness standards, bathroom facilities (卫生间), health departments, and describing whether something is clean or sanitary. It appears in both formal contexts (public health policies) and casual conversation (commenting on restaurant cleanliness). Often paired with words like 注意 (pay attention to) or 讲究 (be particular about).
Examples
- 01这家餐厅的卫生条件很好。.This restaurant's sanitary conditions are very good.
- 02我们应该注意个人卫生。.We should pay attention to personal hygiene.
Characters
Common collocations
- 卫生间bathroom, restroom
- 注意卫生pay attention to hygiene
- 卫生条件sanitary conditions
- 讲卫生to be hygienic, practice good hygiene
Antonyms
Origin
The word literally means 'to protect life' (卫 'guard' + 生 'life'), reflecting the concept that hygiene and sanitation protect health and life. This compound became widely used in modern Chinese as Western concepts of public health were introduced.