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A2 verb

中毒

Q: How do you use '中毒' in a sentence?

You can use '中毒' like this: 他 中毒 了. (Tā zhòngdú le.) He got poisoned. 食物 中毒 . (Shíwù zhòngdú.) Food poisoning.

Q: Can I use '中毒' to describe being addicted to coffee?

Absolutely! You can say '咖啡 中毒 ' (kāfēi zhòngdú) to describe being addicted to coffee. It's a common and understandable way to express that.

zhongdu

When we say someone 中毒 (zhòngdú), it means they have been poisoned. This word is often used for food poisoning or when someone is affected by toxic substances.

For example, if you eat some bad food and get sick, you might say you 中毒. It can also refer to being addicted to something, like being 'poisoned' by a bad habit.

When you hear the word “中毒” (zhòngdú), your first thought might be about someone getting poisoned by a harmful substance, like bad food or chemicals. And you'd be right! That's the most direct meaning of “中毒.” For example, if someone ate something spoiled, you could say they “食物中毒” (shíwù zhòngdú), which means food poisoning.

However, “中毒” is often used in a more figurative sense in everyday Chinese, similar to how we might say someone is “addicted” or “hooked” on something in English. Think about being totally engrossed in a video game, endlessly scrolling on your phone, or binge-watching a TV series until the early hours. In these situations, you could describe yourself as “手机中毒” (shǒujī zhòngdú) if you can't put your phone down, or “追剧中毒” (zhuījù zhòngdú) if you're obsessively watching a drama. It's a vivid way to express being really into something, almost to the point of being consumed by it. So, while it literally means “to be poisoned,” it's frequently used to talk about being overly engrossed or addicted to various activities or habits.

Practice it Notes & Tips

中毒 in 30 Seconds

Literally means 'to be poisoned'.
Can be used metaphorically for addiction or negative influence.
Common in news about food safety.

Practice in Real Life

Real-World Contexts

Eating something bad and getting food poisoning.

我吃坏东西，结果中毒了。
我食物中毒了。
这道菜可能有毒，我吃了肚子不舒服。

Accidentally inhaling toxic fumes or chemicals.

他不小心吸入了有毒气体，中毒了。
工厂发生了化学品泄漏，有工人中毒。
闻到这个味道我就头晕，是不是中毒了？

Getting bitten by a venomous animal.

他被毒蛇咬了，需要马上解毒。
这种蜘蛛有毒，被咬了会中毒。
我们去野外要小心，别被虫子毒到了。

Being poisoned by drugs or medication.

她过量服药，导致中毒。
这种药不能乱吃，不然会中毒。
小孩子误食了农药，情况危急，快送医院！

Figuratively, being addicted to something or deeply influenced by it.

他玩游戏中毒了，每天都不睡觉。
我中毒了这部电视剧，天天追。
你这是中了她的毒，做什么都听她的。

Conversation Starters

"你有没有过食物中毒的经历？"

"如果你在户外被毒虫咬了，你会怎么做？"

"你觉得现在的人是不是对手机中毒了？"

"你知道有哪些东西是日常生活中容易导致中毒的吗？"

"你有没有看过关于中毒事件的电影或新闻？"

Journal Prompts

描述一次你或你认识的人中毒的经历，以及当时的感觉和处理方式。

想象一下，如果你不小心吃了有毒的东西，你会怎么做？你的第一反应是什么？

你认为现代社会中，人们容易“中毒”于哪些事物（比如游戏、社交媒体等）？这种“中毒”有什么影响？

写一篇关于如何预防食物中毒的小贴士。

如果你的宠物不小心吃了有毒的东西，你会怎么处理？

Frequently Asked Questions

10 questions

The literal meaning of '中毒' (zhòng dú) is 'to be poisoned' or 'to be中了毒' which means 'to be hit by poison'.

You can use '中毒' like this:

他中毒了. (Tā zhòngdú le.)
He got poisoned.

食物中毒. (Shíwù zhòngdú.)
Food poisoning.

No, '中毒' can also be used metaphorically, similar to how we say someone is 'addicted' or 'hooked' on something in English. For example, '游戏中毒' (yóuxì zhòngdú) means 'addicted to games'.

This is a good question! '中毒' (zhòng dú) is a verb meaning 'to be poisoned'. '有毒' (yǒu dú) is an adjective meaning 'poisonous' or 'toxic'. So, something '有毒' can cause someone to '中毒'.

Absolutely! You can say '咖啡中毒' (kāfēi zhòngdú) to describe being addicted to coffee. It's a common and understandable way to express that.

If you want to say something is 'poisoning' someone, you would typically use '下毒' (xià dú) meaning 'to administer poison' or '给...下毒' (gěi...xià dú). '中毒' describes the state of *being* poisoned.

Yes, '中毒' is a fairly common word. You'll hear it in news reports about food safety, or jokingly when someone is really into something, like 'I'm poisoned by this TV show!'

Besides '食物中毒' (shíwù zhòngdú - food poisoning) and using it for addiction, you might also hear '电脑中毒' (diànnǎo zhòngdú) which means 'computer virus infected' or 'computer got a virus'. In this context, the computer is 'poisoned' by the virus.

When used metaphorically, like for an addiction, it's often playful or slightly exaggerated. It's not usually taken literally as actual poisoning.

You can think of it as '中' (zhòng) meaning 'to hit' or 'to be struck by' and '毒' (dú) meaning 'poison'. So, 'hit by poison' = 'poisoned'.