Meaning of 细菌
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- bacterium
- germ
How to use 细菌
细菌 is the everyday and scientific word for bacteria and germs. You hear it in health advice, cleaning ads and biology class. Example: 饭前洗手可以减少细菌。(Fàn qián xǐ shǒu kěyǐ jiǎnshǎo xìjūn.) Washing your hands before meals can reduce germs.
细 (xì) means thin or tiny, and 菌 (jūn) means fungus or germ. A 细菌 is a germ so tiny you cannot see it, just like the fine detail in 细节 (xìjié).
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 细菌 (xìjūn) with 细胞 (xìbāo, cell) because both start with 细 and appear in biology. Also note that 菌 is read jūn here, not jùn. The jùn reading is used for mushrooms in some words.
细菌 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
细 xì · thin or slender · 8 strokes
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菌 jūn · mushroom · 11 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 细菌.
| 细节 | xìjié | details; particulars |
| 细致 | xìzhì | delicate; fine |
| 仔细 | zǐxì | careful; attentive; cautious; to be careful; to look out |
| 详细 | xiángxì | detailed; in detail |
| 细胞 | xìbāo | cell (biology) |
| 精细 | jīngxì | fine; meticulous |
| 细心 | xìxīn | meticulous; careful; attentive |
| 细微 | xìwēi | tiny; minute |
| 细腻 | xìnì | (of skin etc) smooth; satiny; delicate; (of a performance, depiction, craftsmanship etc) f |
| 精打细算 | jīngdǎ-xìsuàn | meticulous planning and careful accounting (idiom) |
| 病菌 | bìngjūn | harmful bacteria; pathogenic bacteria |
| 底细 | dǐxì | inside information; the ins and outs of the matter |
Questions about 细菌
What does 细菌 mean?
细菌 (xìjūn) means "bacterium; germ" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 细菌?
细菌 is made of 2 characters: 细 (8 strokes), 菌 (11 strokes). That is 19 strokes in total.
Is 细菌 an HSK word?
Yes. 细菌 is on the HSK 6 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 细菌 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 细菌 is written 細菌.
What is the difference between 细菌 and 病毒?
细菌 (xìjūn) means bacteria, while 病毒 (bìngdú) means virus. In casual speech people may blur them, but they are different things, just as in English.
Does 细菌 always mean something harmful?
No. It is a neutral word for bacteria in general. To talk about helpful bacteria, people say 有益细菌 (yǒuyì xìjūn) or 益生菌 (yìshēngjūn, probiotics).