About

The Chinese term for antibiotic, 抗生素 (kàngshēngsù), is a modern compound word formed through morphological translation, where each character contributes to the overall meaning: 抗 (kàng) means "to resist" or "fight against", 生 (shēng) means "life" or "living", and 素 (sù) means "element" or "substance". Thus, the term logically constructs the meaning "substance that resists life", specifically referring to a substance that kills or inhibits the growth of microorganisms like bacteria, directly and accurately reflecting the function of the Western medical concept it was created to describe.

Word Definition - 抗生素

kàng shēng sù antibiotic

Individual Character Details