病毒 (bìngdú) — virus
HSK 5 | noun | a microscopic infectious agent; also used for computer viruses
病毒 (bìngdú)
病毒 refers to both biological viruses that cause disease and computer viruses that damage digital systems, making it a versatile term across medical and technological contexts.
Meanings
- [noun] virus (biological)
- [noun] virus (computer/digital)
Example Sentences
流感病毒每年在全球范围内导致大量死亡。 Liúgǎn bìngdú měi nián zài quánqiú fànwéi nèi dǎozhì dàliàng sǐwáng. The influenza virus causes large numbers of deaths worldwide every year.
科学家发现了一种新型病毒,并正在研究其传播方式。 Kēxuéjiā fāxiàn le yī zhǒng xīnxíng bìngdú, bìng zhèngzài yánjiū qí chuánbō fāngshì. Scientists have discovered a new virus and are studying how it spreads.
计算机病毒可以在短时间内感染成千上万台设备。 Jìsuànjī bìngdú kěyǐ zài duǎn shíjiān nèi gǎnrǎn chéng qiān shàng wàn tái shèbèi. Computer viruses can infect tens of thousands of devices in a short time.
免疫系统的作用是识别并消灭入侵人体的病毒。 Miǎnyì xìtǒng de zuòyòng shì shíbié bìng xiāomiè rùqīn réntǐ de bìngdú. The immune system's role is to identify and destroy viruses that invade the body.
安装杀毒软件可以保护电脑免受病毒攻击。 Ānzhuāng shādú ruǎnjiàn kěyǐ bǎohù diànnǎo miǎn shòu bìngdú gōngjī. Installing antivirus software can protect computers from virus attacks.
变异后的病毒往往更难被现有疫苗所预防。 Biànyì hòu de bìngdú wǎngwǎng gèng nán bèi xiànyǒu yìmiáo suǒ yùfáng. Mutated viruses are often harder to prevent with existing vaccines.
Collocations
| Collocation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 感染病毒 (gǎnrǎn bìngdú) | to be infected with a virus |
| 病毒传播 (bìngdú chuánbō) | virus transmission |
| 计算机病毒 (jìsuànjī bìngdú) | computer virus |
| 病毒变异 (bìngdú biànyì) | virus mutation |
| 杀灭病毒 (shāmiè bìngdú) | to kill a virus |
| 新型病毒 (xīnxíng bìngdú) | novel virus |
Usage Notes
病毒 is used in both biological and digital contexts. Biologically, it pairs with verbs like 感染 (to infect), 传播 (to spread), and 变异 (to mutate). In computing, it pairs with 攻击 (to attack), 感染 (to infect), and 防御 (to defend against).
The word 毒 (poison/toxic) evokes something harmful and invasive, which makes 病毒 a memorable and apt term. Note that 细菌 (xìjūn, bacteria) is a distinct term and should not be confused with 病毒.
Memory Hook
病 (illness/disease) + 毒 (poison/toxic) -- a poisonous agent that causes illness -- a virus.