B1 verb Neutral #5,500 most common 1 min read

变质

bianzhi /pi̯ɛn ʈʂʐ̩́/
Practice it

Biānzhì refers to the deterioration or spoilage of food, medicine, or other items due to time or improper storage.

Word in 30 Seconds

  • Describes food or items spoiling or going bad.
  • Indicates a negative change in quality or state.
  • Commonly used for food, medicine, and materials.

Overview

“变质”是一个常用的中文动词，主要用来描述食物、药品、甚至某些材料因为时间推移、储存不当、接触空气、水分或微生物等原因而发生的品质下降或腐败变坏的现象。它强调的是事物内在性质的改变，使其不再符合原有的标准或用途。

“变质”通常用作不及物动词，表示事物自身发生变化。它也可以用于描述某个过程或原因导致事物变质。例如，“由于天气炎热，食物很快就变质了。” 在某些语境下，“变质”也可以引申指人的思想、立场等发生负面改变，但这种情况相对较少，且更常使用“变节”、“堕落”等词。

最常见的语境是讨论食物的保鲜和安全，如“冰箱里的牛奶已经变质了，不能喝。”；也用于药品，如“这种感冒药超过保质期后可能会变质。”；还可以用于描述其他物品，如“长时间暴露在潮湿环境中，木材容易变质。”；在更广泛的意义上，有时也用于形容关系或情况的恶化，但需要根据具体语境判断。

“变质”与“腐烂”意思相近，但“腐烂”通常指有机物（如食物、尸体、植物）因微生物分解而发臭、发烂，程度通常比“变质”更严重，强调的是分解和恶臭。“变质”的范围更广，不一定伴随恶臭，可能只是味道、颜色或质地的改变。“坏掉”是“变质”更口语化的表达，意思基本相同，但“变质”更书面化一些，也更精确地描述了品质的改变。

Examples

1

夏天天气炎热，食物很容易变质，要注意存放。

everyday

In summer, the weather is hot, and food spoils easily, so pay attention to storage.

2

药品一旦开封，若储存不当，其有效成分可能发生变质。

formal

Once opened, if stored improperly, the active ingredients in medicine may deteriorate.

3

这块奶酪闻起来味道怪怪的，好像变质了。

informal

This piece of cheese smells weird, it seems to have gone bad.

4

微生物的快速繁殖是导致食品在不适宜条件下变质的主要原因。

academic

The rapid proliferation of microorganisms is the main reason for food spoilage under unsuitable conditions.

Common Collocations

食物变质 Food spoils
牛奶变质 Milk sours/spoils
药品变质 Medicine deteriorates
变质原因 Reason for spoilage

Common Phrases

食物变质

Food spoilage

防止变质

Prevent spoilage

已经变质

Already spoiled

Often Confused With

变质 vs 腐烂

'Fǔlàn' (腐烂) specifically refers to the decomposition of organic matter, often accompanied by a strong odor, like rotting food or corpses. 'Biānzhì' (变质) is broader and simply means to change for the worse or spoil, not necessarily involving decomposition or bad smell.

变质 vs 坏掉

'Huàidiào' (坏掉) is a more colloquial and general term for something becoming bad or broken. 'Biānzhì' (变质) is often more specific to the deterioration of quality, especially for food and medicine, and sounds slightly more formal.

Grammar Patterns

Noun + 变质 (e.g., 食物变质 - food spoils) Subject + 变质 + 了 (e.g., 牛奶变质了 - the milk has spoiled) 因为/由于 + Reason + ， + Subject + 变质 (e.g., 由于储存不当，食物变质 - due to improper storage, the food spoiled)

How to Use It

Usage Notes

Use '变质' primarily when discussing food, medicine, or other perishable items that have lost their quality. It's a neutral term suitable for both spoken and written contexts. Avoid using it for inanimate objects like rocks or metal unless specifically referring to their degradation due to chemical reactions.

Common Mistakes

Learners sometimes use '变质' to describe people's character or emotions, which is not standard usage. For people, terms like '堕落' (degenerate) or '变节' (defect) are more appropriate. Also, ensure the context clearly indicates a negative change in quality, not just any change.

Tips

💡

Focus on Quality Deterioration

Remember '变质' emphasizes a decline in original quality or state, not just being 'broken'.

⚠️

Avoid Using for People Directly

While possible in rare figurative senses, directly calling a person '变质' is uncommon and potentially offensive.

🌍

Food Safety is Key

Understanding '变质' is crucial for daily life in China, especially concerning food safety and proper storage.

Word Origin

The word '变质' is composed of '变' (biàn), meaning 'change', and '质' (zhì), meaning 'quality' or 'substance'. Together, they literally mean 'change of quality', indicating a deterioration.

Cultural Context

In Chinese culture, food safety is highly valued. Understanding terms like '变质' is essential for distinguishing between fresh and spoiled food to avoid illness. It reflects a practical concern for health and well-being in daily life.

Memory Tip

Think of '变' (change) leading to '质' (quality) becoming bad. Imagine a 'change' in quality that makes something 'worse'.

Frequently Asked Questions

4 questions

“变质”和“坏掉”在很多情况下意思相同，都可以指食物等不再新鲜可用。但“变质”更侧重于品质的内在改变，听起来更正式一些，而“坏掉”则更口语化，强调结果。

虽然极少情况下可以引申指人的思想或立场发生负面变化，但通常不直接用“变质”形容人。形容人的负面转变，更常用“变节”、“堕落”、“思想有问题”等词。

食物变质的原因有很多，包括细菌、霉菌等微生物的繁殖，酶的活动，氧化作用，以及不适宜的温度、湿度和光照等储存条件。

不一定。虽然很多变质的食物会发臭，但“变质”本身指的是品质的改变，可能只是味道、颜色、质地或营养成分的损失，不一定有明显异味。

Test Yourself

fill blank

这盒牛奶已经过了保质期，闻起来有点酸，肯定是______了。

Correct! Not quite. Correct answer: 变质

“变质”指食物失去原有的品质，不再新鲜可用，符合句意。

multiple choice

这个苹果放了太久，表面有些软，而且味道不对了，它______了。

Correct! Not quite. Correct answer: 变质

“变质”最准确地描述了食物因时间或储存问题而品质下降、不能食用的状态。

sentence building

食物 / 容易 / 变质 / 变质 / 储存 / 不当 / 容易

Correct! Not quite. Correct answer: 食物储存不当容易变质。

这句话结构完整，逻辑清晰，表达了不当储存会导致食物变质的意思。

Score: /3

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