TongTong
Sign in

感冒 (gǎn mào) — (noun) cold (the illness); (verb) to catch a cold; (verb, colloquial) to be interested in (usually used in the negative)

Definition

Mostly the everyday word for a cold (illness): as a noun the disease, as a verb the act of catching it. 着凉 specifically means catching a cold from getting cold. The colloquial 'be interested in' sense is used almost only in the negative (我对…不感冒).

noun
cold (the illness)(verb, colloquial) to be interested in (usually used in the negative)
verb
to catch a cold
Measure word · 场, 次

Examples

  • 感冒，。
    Tā gǎn mào le, bù néng lái shàng kè.
    He caught a cold and can't come to class.
  • 感冒，。
    gǎn mào Yào duō hē shuǐ, duō xiū xi.
    When you have a cold, you should drink more water and rest more.
  • 感冒。
    Wǒ duì zú qiú bù gǎn mào.
    I'm not interested in soccer.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

感gǎnfeel
冒màobrave/encounter

感 (feel) and 冒 (brave/encounter) suggest feeling ill after encountering a chill.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
心心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
咸
咸xián感gǎn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

感 pairs 咸, which gives the sound, with 心, the heart, for feeling.

Open 感 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
目目mùeyes
Sound part声符shēngfú
冃
冃mào冒mào
Same sound today

冒 was built from 冃, a hat used for the sound, plus 目, eyes, as the meaning part.

Open 冒 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 3HSK 2.0 Level 3Illness & Symptoms5000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

Browse more HSK 3 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.