bìngdú: 病毒 - Virus

• Keywords: 病毒, bìngdú, Chinese for virus, computer virus in Chinese, get sick in Chinese, infection, pathogen, flu virus, going viral, COVID-19 in Chinese, HSK 4 vocabulary.
• Summary: Discover the meaning of 病毒 (bìngdú), the essential Chinese word for “virus.” This term is crucial for everything from discussing a common cold and computer security to understanding modern phenomena like content “going viral.” This guide breaks down its literal meaning (“sickness poison”), cultural impact in a post-COVID world, and practical usage with plenty of examples.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): bìngdú
• Part of Speech: Noun
• HSK Level: HSK 4
• Concise Definition: A biological or computer virus.
• In a Nutshell: 病毒 (bìngdú) is the direct and universal term for “virus” in Chinese. Its components literally mean “sickness poison,” making its negative meaning crystal clear. Whether you're at the doctor's office describing your symptoms, calling IT about a problem with your laptop, or describing a video that has spread all over the internet, 病毒 is the word you need.

• 病 (bìng): Sickness, illness, disease. The character radical on the left, 疒, is known as the “sickness radical” and is found in many characters related to health problems (e.g., 疼 téng - pain, 瘦 shòu - thin). It visually signals that the concept relates to a malady.
• 毒 (dú): Poison, toxin, venom. This character represents something harmful or malicious.
• The combination is powerful and intuitive: a “sickness poison” (病毒) is a perfect description for a virus, an agent that causes illness.

While “virus” is a scientific term in both English and Chinese, its place in the collective consciousness of modern China is particularly profound. Following the SARS epidemic in 2003 and especially the COVID-19 pandemic, the term 病毒 (bìngdú) became a word of immense national significance. Unlike the Western emphasis on individual rights during lockdowns, the Chinese response heavily leaned on collectivist values. The fight against the 病毒 was framed as a “people's war” (人民战争 rénmín zhànzhēng), requiring collective sacrifice for the greater good. Public messaging constantly reinforced the need to “防病毒” (fáng bìngdú - prevent the virus), and community-level monitoring became the norm. Therefore, for a learner, understanding 病毒 isn't just about knowing a vocabulary word; it's about recognizing a term that has shaped recent Chinese history, social policy, and the daily habits of over a billion people.

The use of 病毒 is versatile and falls into three main categories.

• Medical Context: This is the most common usage. It refers to biological pathogens that cause disease. You'll hear it in hospitals, pharmacies, and everyday conversations about health.
• Technology Context: Just like in English, 病毒 refers to a computer virus. The language used around it is often very direct, for example, “kill the virus” (杀毒 shādú) for running an antivirus scan.
• Social Media & Marketing: The phrase “病毒式传播” (bìngdú shì chuánbō) or “病毒式营销” (bìngdú shì yíngxiāo) means “viral transmission” or “viral marketing.” This is a direct loan translation from English and is understood by virtually all young and internet-savvy Chinese speakers.

• Example 1:
  • 医生说我得的是流感病毒。
  • Pinyin: Yīshēng shuō wǒ dé de shì liúgǎn bìngdú.
  • English: The doctor said what I have is the flu virus.
  • Analysis: A very common and practical sentence. Note the use of 得了 (déle) or 得的是 (dé de shì) to mean “to have gotten/contracted” an illness.
• Example 2:
  • 我的电脑中了病毒，现在运行很慢。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ de diànnǎo zhòngle bìngdú, xiànzài yùnxíng hěn màn.
  • English: My computer got a virus, and now it runs very slowly.
  • Analysis: For computers, the verb is 中 (zhòng), which means “to be hit by” or “to be affected by.” This is the standard way to say a computer has a virus.
• Example 3:
  • 这个搞笑视频在网上传播得像病毒一样快。
  • Pinyin: Zhège gǎoxiào shìpín zài wǎngshàng chuánbō de xiàng bìngdú yíyàng kuài.
  • English: This funny video is spreading online as fast as a virus.
  • Analysis: This shows the figurative use. The structure “像…一样” (xiàng… yíyàng) means “is like…” and is used here to create the simile for “going viral.”
• Example 4:
  • 我们要勤洗手，预防病毒感染。
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen yào qín xǐshǒu, yùfáng bìngdú gǎnrǎn.
  • English: We need to wash our hands frequently to prevent viral infections.
  • Analysis: 预防 (yùfáng) means “to prevent.” This is a phrase you would commonly see on public health posters.
• Example 5:
  • 新冠病毒改变了全世界。
  • Pinyin: Xīnguān bìngdú gǎibiàn le quán shìjiè.
  • English: The novel coronavirus changed the entire world.
  • Analysis: 新冠 (xīnguān) is the common abbreviation for “novel coronavirus” (新型冠状病毒 xīnxíng guānzhuàng bìngdú). This sentence highlights the term's massive global relevance.
• Example 6:
  • 你需要安装杀毒软件来保护电脑免受病毒侵害。
  • Pinyin: Nǐ xūyào ānzhuāng shādú ruǎnjiàn lái bǎohù diànnǎo miǎn shòu bìngdú qīnhài.
  • English: You need to install antivirus software to protect your computer from virus attacks.
  • Analysis: 杀毒软件 (shādú ruǎnjiàn) literally means “kill-virus software.” The structure 免受…侵害 (miǎn shòu… qīnhài) means “to be protected from the harm of…”
• Example 7:
  • 有些病毒的潜伏期很长。
  • Pinyin: Yǒuxiē bìngdú de qiánfúqī hěn cháng.
  • English: Some viruses have a very long incubation period.
  • Analysis: 潜伏期 (qiánfúqī) is a useful, more advanced word meaning “incubation period.”
• Example 8:
  • 抗生素对病毒是无效的，它们只能对付细菌。
  • Pinyin: Kàngshēngsù duì bìngdú shì wúxiào de, tāmen zhǐ néng duìfù xìjūn.
  • English: Antibiotics are ineffective against viruses; they can only deal with bacteria.
  • Analysis: This sentence directly contrasts 病毒 with 细菌 (xìjūn - bacteria), a key biological distinction.
• Example 9:
  • 接种疫苗是增强身体抵抗病毒能力的好方法。
  • Pinyin: Jiēzhǒng yìmiáo shì zēngqiáng shēntǐ dǐkàng bìngdú nénglì de hǎo fāngfǎ.
  • English: Getting vaccinated is a good way to strengthen the body's ability to resist viruses.
  • Analysis: 抵抗 (dǐkàng) means “to resist” or “to fight against,” a common verb used when discussing immunity.
• Example 10:
  • 这场病毒危机考验了我们的医疗系统。
  • Pinyin: Zhè chǎng bìngdú wēijī kǎoyàn le wǒmen de yīliáo xìtǒng.
  • English: This virus crisis tested our medical system.
  • Analysis: A more formal sentence you might read in a news article. 危机 (wēijī - crisis) is often paired with 病毒.

• Virus (病毒) vs. Bacteria (细菌): This is the most critical distinction. A 病毒 (bìngdú) is a virus, while a 细菌 (xìjūn) is bacteria. Chinese medicine and public understanding make this distinction clearly. Don't use them interchangeably. Antibiotics, or 抗生素 (kàngshēngsù), work on 细菌, not 病毒.
• “Catching” a Virus: English speakers often want to directly translate “catch.” However, you don't “catch” (抓 zhuā) or “get” (拿 ná) a virus in Chinese.
  • Incorrect: 我抓了病毒。 (Wǒ zhuāle bìngdú.)
  • Correct (Medical): 我感染了病毒。(Wǒ gǎnrǎnle bìngdú.) - I was infected with a virus.
  • Correct (Medical, colloquial): 我得了病毒性感冒。(Wǒ déle bìngdúxìng gǎnmào.) - I got a viral cold.
  • Correct (Computer): 我的电脑中了病毒。(Wǒ de diànnǎo zhòngle bìngdú.) - My computer was “hit by” a virus.
• “Viral” as an Adjective: You cannot say something is “very viral” by saying “很病毒 (hěn bìngdú).” To describe something “going viral,” you must use the set phrase 病毒式传播 (bìngdú shì chuánbō) or use a simile as in Example 3.

• 细菌 (xìjūn) - Bacteria. The microbial counterpart to a virus; essential to distinguish between the two.
• 感染 (gǎnrǎn) - Infection; to infect. The primary verb used to describe the process of a virus entering the body.
• 疫苗 (yìmiáo) - Vaccine. The preventative measure taken against a 病毒.
• 感冒 (gǎnmào) - The common cold. Often caused by a 病毒. A related term is 流行性感冒 (liúxíngxìng gǎnmào) or 流感 (liúgǎn), the flu.
• 发烧 (fāshāo) - To have a fever. A common symptom of a 病毒 infection.
• 中毒 (zhòngdú) - To be poisoned. While its main meaning is poisoning, it's the specific term for a computer getting a 病毒.
• 杀毒软件 (shādú ruǎnjiàn) - Antivirus software. Literally “kill-virus software.”
• 免疫力 (miǎnyìlì) - Immunity. The body's ability to fight off a 病毒.
• 流行病 (liúxíngbìng) - Epidemic. A widespread occurrence of an infectious disease, often caused by a 病毒.