Meaning
发炎 literally means 'to emit inflammation' and refers to the biological process where a part of the body becomes swollen, red, hot, and often painful due to infection or injury. It's a common medical term used in everyday conversation when discussing health issues.
Usage
Commonly used when talking about wounds, organs, or body parts that have become infected or inflamed. Native speakers use it both as a verb (伤口发炎了 'the wound became infected') and as a noun phrase describing the condition (有发炎 'there is inflammation'). It's neutral register and appears frequently in both casual conversation and medical contexts.
Examples
- 01我的伤口发炎了，需要去看医生。, .My wound has become infected, I need to see a doctor.
- 02吃点消炎药，不然扁桃体会发炎的。, .Take some anti-inflammatory medicine, otherwise your tonsils will become inflamed.
Characters
Common collocations
- 伤口发炎wound becomes inflamed
- 牙龈发炎gum inflammation
- 喉咙发炎throat inflammation
- 消炎药anti-inflammatory medicine
Antonyms
Origin
炎 originally depicted two fires (火) stacked together, representing intense heat or burning. In medical terminology, it came to represent inflammation due to the heat and burning sensation associated with inflamed tissue.