§ Basic Sentence Structure
Alright, let's get straight to how to use 营养不良 (yíngyǎng bùliáng) in a sentence. This word acts like an adjective, so you can often put it directly after the subject or with linking verbs like 是 (shì, to be) or 显得 (xiǎnde, to appear).
这个孩子看起来营养不良。
Translation hint: This child looks malnourished.
他很瘦，可能营养不良。
Translation hint: He is very thin, maybe malnourished.
§ Using Degree Adverbs
You can use degree adverbs like 很 (hěn, very), 非常 (fēicháng, extremely), 有点 (yǒudiǎn, a little), or 比较 (bǐjiào, relatively) before 营养不良 (yíngyǎng bùliáng) to specify the intensity of malnourishment.
那些流浪动物非常营养不良。
Translation hint: Those stray animals are very malnourished.
因为长期生病，她有点营养不良。
Translation hint: Because of long-term illness, she is a little malnourished.
§ Expressing the Cause
You can also talk about the cause of malnourishment. Common structures include using 因为 (yīnwèi, because) or 由于 (yóuyú, due to).
由于食物短缺，很多人都营养不良。
Translation hint: Due to food shortages, many people are malnourished.
因为挑食，这个孩子有点营养不良。
Translation hint: Because of being a picky eater, this child is a little malnourished.
§ As a Predicate Adjective
Like many Chinese adjectives, 营养不良 (yíngyǎng bùliáng) can directly act as the predicate in a sentence, often implying a state or condition.
病人非常营养不良。
Translation hint: The patient is very malnourished.
§ Common Phrases and Usage Patterns
- Phrase
- 儿童营养不良 (ér tóng yíng yǎng bù liáng) - child malnutrition
这个地区有严重的儿童营养不良问题。
Translation hint: This region has serious child malnutrition problems.
- Phrase
- 导致营养不良 (dǎozhì yíngyǎng bùliáng) - lead to malnutrition
长期节食会导致营养不良。
Translation hint: Long-term dieting can lead to malnutrition.
§ Avoiding Common Mistakes
Don't use 营养不良 (yíngyǎng bùliáng) directly as a noun for 'malnutrition' in all contexts where English would. While it describes a state, when you need a clear noun phrase, you might say something like '营养不良的问题' (yíngyǎng bùliáng de wèntí, the problem of malnutrition).
Remember that it primarily describes a state of lacking proper nutrition, not just being thin. A person can be thin for other reasons, but if they are thin due to insufficient nutrients, then 营养不良 (yíngyǎng bùliáng) is appropriate.
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这个孩子看起来营养不良。
This child looks malnourished.
她很瘦，可能营养不良。
She is very thin, maybe malnourished.
有些动物因为缺少食物而营养不良。
Some animals are malnourished because they lack food.
不要只吃糖果，那样你会营养不良。
Don't just eat candy, or you will be malnourished.
他生病了，所以有点营养不良。
He is sick, so he is a bit malnourished.
多吃蔬菜和水果，才不会营养不良。
Eat more vegetables and fruits, then you won't be malnourished.
他的狗看起来营养不良，需要喂食。
His dog looks malnourished, it needs feeding.
战争让很多人营养不良。
War makes many people malnourished.
How to Use It
When talking about someone being malnourished or underfed, you can use 营养不良. For example, 他看起来营养不良 (He looks malnourished). It can also be used to describe the state of something, like 这种植物营养不良 (This plant is malnourished).
A common mistake is confusing 营养不良 with simply being hungry or thin. 营养不良 implies a health condition due to lack of proper nutrients, not just a temporary state of hunger. So, you wouldn't say 我今天很营养不良 (I am very malnourished today) if you just missed a meal; you would say 我饿了 (I am hungry).
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Imagine a child who is always hungry, not because they don't eat, but because they lack the '营' (yíng - camp/nutrition) and '养' (yǎng - nourish) in their diet. They are '不良' (bùliáng - bad/poor) in terms of nutrition.
Visual Association
Picture a very thin, pale child with a distended belly, showing clear signs of being '营养不良'. You might also imagine a plate of food with very little variety, mostly just rice, symbolizing a lack of nutrients.
Word Web
Challenge
Describe a character in a story who is '营养不良'. What do they look like? How do they feel? What might be the cause of their condition? (e.g., 这个孩子看起来很瘦，脸色苍白，可能是因为家庭贫困，所以他营养不良。 - This child looks very thin and pale, probably because their family is poor, so they are malnourished.)
Test Yourself 60 questions
Write a short sentence describing someone who is not eating enough healthy food.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
他吃得很少，身体不健康。
Imagine you see a small animal that looks very thin. Write a sentence about it.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
这只小动物很瘦。
Write a simple sentence about a plant that isn't getting enough water or sunlight.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
这棵植物没有水和阳光。
小猫咪为什么很瘦？
Read this passage:
小猫咪不吃饭，所以它很瘦。它需要多吃一点。
小猫咪为什么很瘦？
The passage says '小猫咪不吃饭，所以它很瘦。' (The little cat doesn't eat, so it is very thin.)
The passage says '小猫咪不吃饭，所以它很瘦。' (The little cat doesn't eat, so it is very thin.)
这个小孩子的身体为什么不太好？
Read this passage:
这个小孩子不喜欢吃蔬菜，只吃糖果。他的身体不太好。
这个小孩子的身体为什么不太好？
The passage says '这个小孩子不喜欢吃蔬菜，只吃糖果。他的身体不太好。' (This child doesn't like to eat vegetables, only candy. His body is not very good.)
The passage says '这个小孩子不喜欢吃蔬菜，只吃糖果。他的身体不太好。' (This child doesn't like to eat vegetables, only candy. His body is not very good.)
那棵树的叶子为什么是黄色的？
Read this passage:
那棵树的叶子是黄色的，因为它没有喝到足够的水。它需要多一点水。
那棵树的叶子为什么是黄色的？
The passage says '那棵树的叶子是黄色的，因为它没有喝到足够的水。' (The leaves of that tree are yellow because it didn't get enough water.)
The passage says '那棵树的叶子是黄色的，因为它没有喝到足够的水。' (The leaves of that tree are yellow because it didn't get enough water.)
这个孩子看起来很瘦小，可能是因为他______。
The child looks thin and small, suggesting they are malnourished.
在一些贫困地区，许多儿童面临着______的问题。
In poor areas, children often suffer from malnutrition.
医生说他的身体很弱，因为他长期______。
The doctor said he was weak due to long-term malnutrition.
为了避免______，我们应该吃各种健康的食物。
To avoid malnutrition, we should eat a variety of healthy foods.
如果一个人______，他的头发可能会变黄，皮肤也会不好。
Malnutrition can cause yellow hair and poor skin.
很多流浪动物都______，看起来非常可怜。
Many stray animals are malnourished and look pitiful.
她看起来很虚弱，医生说她是___。
虚弱 (xūruò) means weak. If someone is weak, they are likely malnourished (营养不良).
一些贫困地区的儿童容易___。
贫困 (pínkùn) means poor. Children in poor areas often suffer from malnutrition (营养不良).
如果一个人不吃足够的食物，他们可能会变得___。
不吃足够的食物 (bù chī zúgòu de shíwù) means not eating enough food, which leads to malnutrition (营养不良).
吃太多健康食物会导致营养不良。
营养不良 (yíngyǎng bùliáng) means malnourished, which is caused by not eating enough or not eating the right types of food, not by eating too much healthy food.
一个营养不良的人通常看起来很健康。
营养不良 (yíngyǎng bùliáng) means malnourished, so a person who is malnourished would not look healthy.
保证均衡饮食可以预防营养不良。
均衡饮食 (jūnhéng yǐnshí) means balanced diet. A balanced diet can prevent malnutrition (营养不良).
The doctor said this patient is a little malnourished.
Eating more vegetables and fruits can avoid malnutrition.
She is malnourished because of a long-term illness.
Read this aloud:
营养不良对健康很不好。
Focus: yíngyǎng bùliáng
You said:
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Read this aloud:
他看起来面黄肌瘦，可能营养不良。
Focus: miàn huáng jī shòu
You said:
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Read this aloud:
怎么才能避免营养不良？
Focus: bìmiǎn yíngyǎng bùliáng
You said:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
This sentence describes someone being a bit malnourished. The order is subject (他) + adverb (有些) + adjective (营养不良).
This sentence means 'This child looks malnourished'. The structure is 'subject + 看起来 (looks) + adjective'.
This sentence explains that 'Because of insufficient food, many people are malnourished'. '因为...所以...' is a common structure for cause and effect.
在一些贫困地区，儿童常常因为食物短缺而___。
这句话描述了食物短缺导致儿童健康问题，’营养不良‘最符合语境。
长期挑食会导致身体___，免疫力下降。
挑食通常导致摄入营养不均衡，从而引起’营养不良‘。
医生警告说，如果不好好吃饭，你会变得___。
’营养不良‘是医生对不好好吃饭可能导致的结果的警告。
战争和自然灾害往往会导致大面积的___问题。
战争和自然灾害经常破坏食物供应，导致人们’营养不良‘。
他看起来很瘦弱，脸色苍白，可能是因为___。
瘦弱、脸色苍白是’营养不良‘的常见症状。
为了避免___，我们应该均衡饮食，摄入足够的蛋白质和维生素。
均衡饮食、摄入蛋白质和维生素是预防’营养不良‘的有效方法。
战争和贫困往往导致儿童___。
这句话描述了战争和贫困对儿童健康的影响，'营养不良'最符合语境。
长期挑食可能会导致身体___。
挑食会使得身体缺乏某些营养，进而导致'营养不良'。
医生建议他多吃蔬菜和水果，以改善他的___状况。
医生建议多吃蔬菜水果是为了改善身体的营养状况，所以是改善'营养不良'。
这个地区的农作物收成不好，很多人面临___的风险。
农作物收成不好意味着食物短缺，所以人们面临'营养不良'的风险。
为了防止运动员___，教练会为他们制定合理的饮食计划。
运动员需要充足的营养来维持体能，合理的饮食计划是为了避免'营养不良'。
一些发展中国家，儿童___的问题依然很严重。
在发展中国家，儿童'营养不良'是一个常见的严重问题。
在灾荒年代，许多孩子因为食物短缺而导致______。
这句话描述了食物短缺导致儿童健康问题，最符合语境的词是“营养不良”。(This sentence describes food shortages leading to children's health problems. The most appropriate word is 'malnourished'.)
长期挑食会导致身体缺乏必需的维生素和矿物质，从而引起______。
挑食导致身体缺乏营养，因此会引起“营养不良”。(Picky eating leads to a lack of nutrients in the body, thus causing 'malnutrition'.)
为了避免______，我们应该保证均衡饮食，摄入足够的蛋白质、脂肪和碳水化合物。
均衡饮食是为了防止身体缺乏营养，所以选择“营养不良”。(Balanced diet is to prevent the body from lacking nutrition, so choose 'malnourished'.)
这位病人由于消化系统疾病，无法充分吸收食物，医生诊断他患有严重的______。
消化系统疾病导致无法吸收食物，直接结果是“营养不良”。(Digestive system disease leads to inability to absorb food, the direct result is 'malnutrition'.)
在一些贫困地区，儿童的______问题非常普遍，严重影响了他们的成长发育。
贫困地区儿童常见的健康问题是“营养不良”，这会影响他们的成长。(A common health problem for children in poverty-stricken areas is 'malnutrition', which affects their growth.)
即使是富裕国家，也有一些老年人因为独居和饮食习惯问题而面临______的风险。
独居和饮食习惯问题可能导致老年人摄入不足，从而引发“营养不良”。(Living alone and dietary habits can lead to insufficient intake for the elderly, thus causing 'malnutrition'.)
This child looks very thin and weak. Is it malnutrition?
Long-term picky eating can lead to malnutrition, which is very detrimental to physical health.
In some impoverished areas, malnutrition remains a severe social problem.
Read this aloud:
请用“营养不良”造一个句子，描述一个你认识的植物或者动物。
Focus: 营养不良 (yíngyǎng bùliáng)
You said:
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Read this aloud:
解释一下为什么现代社会中，即便食物充足，也可能出现营养不良的情况。
Focus: 营养不良 (yíngyǎng bùliáng)
You said:
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Read this aloud:
如果你是一名医生，你会如何向一位家长解释“营养不良”的危害性以及预防措施？
Focus: 营养不良 (yíngyǎng bùliáng)
You said:
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Imagine you are writing a news report about a humanitarian crisis. Describe how prolonged drought and conflict have led to widespread 营养不良 among the population, including specific impacts on children and the elderly. Use sophisticated vocabulary and complex sentence structures.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
长期干旱与连年战乱的双重打击，使得该地区的人道危机日益严峻，大范围的营养不良问题已达到触目惊心的程度。尤其令人担忧的是，无数儿童因蛋白质和微量元素摄入不足而面黄肌瘦，发育迟缓，免疫系统严重受损；而年迈体弱的老年人则因食物匮乏而加速衰竭，生命尊严遭受极大挑战。国际社会必须紧急行动起来，提供大规模的人道主义援助，以避免更严重的人间悲剧发生。
You are a public health official drafting a policy proposal to combat malnutrition in remote rural areas. Outline your proposed strategies, emphasizing preventative measures, educational campaigns, and sustainable food security initiatives. Use formal and persuasive language.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
为有效应对偏远农村地区的营养不良问题，本部门拟定以下综合性策略。首先，我们将加强基层医疗卫生服务，定期对高风险人群进行营养筛查与干预。其次，将推出全民营养健康教育宣传项目，提升居民对均衡饮食与科学喂养的认知水平。最后，通过推广适宜当地气候条件的农作物种植技术，并建立社区膳食供应点，以确保粮食安全和可持续发展。此举旨在从根本上改善居民营养状况，构建健康的社会生态系统。
Write a diary entry from the perspective of a medical volunteer working in a region affected by severe malnutrition. Describe a particularly challenging day, focusing on your emotional responses, the difficult choices you face, and the resilience of the people you are trying to help.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
今天是我在这里工作以来最令人心力交瘁的一天。诊室外排起了长龙，每一个面孔都透着因营养不良而导致的疲惫与绝望。我不得不做出一些艰难的决定，优先救治那些情况危急的婴儿，内心承受着巨大的煎熬。然而，即使在如此艰难的境地，我仍能看到人们眼中闪烁的求生欲望和互助的温情。一个母亲虽然自己瘦弱不堪，却依然将仅有的食物留给孩子，那份坚韧让我动容。我告诉自己，无论多难，都不能放弃。
根据文章，解决全球营养不良问题需要哪些系统性的干预措施？
Read this passage:
在全球范围内，营养不良是一个多维度、复杂且根深蒂固的问题，其成因往往与贫困、教育缺失、卫生条件恶劣以及社会不平等现象交织。解决这一问题，不仅仅需要提供食物援助，更需要系统性的干预措施，包括改善公共卫生基础设施、普及营养健康教育、推动经济发展以增加居民收入，以及构建完善的社会保障体系。只有多管齐下，才能从根本上扭转营养不良的局面，实现人类的可持续发展。
根据文章，解决全球营养不良问题需要哪些系统性的干预措施？
文章明确指出，解决营养不良需要“系统性的干预措施，包括改善公共卫生基础设施、普及营养健康教育、推动经济发展以增加居民收入，以及构建完善的社会保障体系”。
文章明确指出，解决营养不良需要“系统性的干预措施，包括改善公共卫生基础设施、普及营养健康教育、推动经济发展以增加居民收入，以及构建完善的社会保障体系”。
文章指出儿童时期的营养不良会产生哪些不可逆转的影响？
Read this passage:
儿童时期的营养不良对个体发育有着不可逆转的影响，不仅会导致身体发育迟缓、免疫力低下，还会严重影响认知能力和学业表现，从而限制其未来的发展潜力。这种负面影响甚至会跨代传递，形成贫困与营养不良的恶性循环。因此，在儿童早期阶段进行有效的营养干预，对于打破这种循环、促进社会公平具有至关重要的战略意义。
文章指出儿童时期的营养不良会产生哪些不可逆转的影响？
文章详细说明了儿童时期的营养不良会“导致身体发育迟缓、免疫力低下，还会严重影响认知能力和学业表现”，并且“这种负面影响甚至会跨代传递”。
文章详细说明了儿童时期的营养不良会“导致身体发育迟缓、免疫力低下，还会严重影响认知能力和学业表现”，并且“这种负面影响甚至会跨代传递”。
根据文章，导致某些地区营养不良状况恶化的主要新挑战是什么？
Read this passage:
一项最新的研究表明，尽管全球在消除饥饿和营养不良方面取得了显著进展，但在一些特定区域，由于气候变化导致的极端天气事件频发，以及地缘政治冲突的加剧，导致粮食生产和分配系统面临严峻挑战。这使得这些地区的营养不良状况不降反升，对当地居民的生存和发展构成了新的威胁。研究呼吁国际社会采取更加协调一致的行动，以应对这些复杂且日益加剧的挑战。
根据文章，导致某些地区营养不良状况恶化的主要新挑战是什么？
文章明确指出，导致这些地区营养不良状况恶化的原因是“气候变化导致的极端天气事件频发，以及地缘政治冲突的加剧”。
文章明确指出，导致这些地区营养不良状况恶化的原因是“气候变化导致的极端天气事件频发，以及地缘政治冲突的加剧”。
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一粒
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一片
A2One tablet; a slice (for flat objects like pills).
不正常
A2abnormal
以上
A2Above, over (a number)
酸痛
A2Sore; aching (especially muscles).
倒是
A2On the contrary; actually.
针灸
A2Acupuncture; traditional Chinese therapy.
扎针
A2to give an injection
急性
B1acute (illness)
急性病
B1Acute disease.
