孕

yùn

乃 + 子

Definitions

yùn (adjective) pregnant

Etymology

Pictograph of a pregnant woman (身) with a child (子) inside of her body.

About

孕 is a pictograph of a pregnant woman (身) with a child (子) inside her body. The modern character places 乃 above 子: the upper component 乃 originally depicted a woman's swollen belly, while the lower component 子 explicitly represents the unborn child, together forming a clear visual expression of gestation. Its literal meaning is pregnancy, the act of conceiving and carrying a developing fetus in the womb. Beyond this biological sense, 孕 is used metaphorically to describe an environment that breeds, nurtures, or gestates a new idea, a future event, or a problem that has not yet fully materialized.

Etymology Hide

Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

她已经怀孕了。

Tā yǐjīng huáiyùn le.

English translation 1: She is already pregnant.

我姐姐怀孕三个月了。

Wǒ jiějie huáiyùn sān gè yuè le.

English translation 2: My sister has been pregnant for three months.

怀孕期间要注意饮食。

Huáiyùn qījiān yào zhùyì yǐnshí.

English translation 3: During pregnancy, pay attention to diet.

你有没有怀孕的计划？

Nǐ yǒu méiyǒu huáiyùn de jìhuà?

English translation 4: Do you have plans for pregnancy?

这位孕妇需要定期检查。

Zhè wèi yùnfù xūyào dìngqī jiǎnchá.

English translation 5: This pregnant woman needs regular check-ups.

现代医学能解决很多孕期问题。

Xiàndài yīxué néng jiějué hěnduō yùnqī wèntí.

English translation 6: Modern medicine can solve many pregnancy-related problems.

社会应该为孕妇提供更多的支持。

Shèhuì yīnggāi wèi yùnfù tígōng gèng duō de zhīchí.

English translation 7: Society should provide more support for pregnant women.

研究表明，孕期心理健康对胎儿发育至关重要。

Yánjiū biǎomíng, yùnqī xīnlǐ jiànkāng duì tāi'ér fāyù zhìguān zhòngyào.

English translation 8: Research shows that mental health during pregnancy is crucial for fetal development.

Related Characters

Component: 乃

Component: 子

孕