菌

jūn, jùn

囷 + 艹

Definitions

jūn (noun) bacteria; germ; fungus

jùn (noun) mushroom

Etymology phono-semantic

plant

Semantic: 艹 Phonetic: 囷

About

A phono-semantic compound, 菌 joins the grass/vegetation radical 艹 (categorizing it as plant-like) with the phonetic 囷, which depicted a round grain bin and provides the sound. The character originally referred to mushrooms, toadstools, and other visible fungi emerging from soil or decaying wood, much like plants. Following the rise of modern microbiology, its meaning was broadened to translate Western scientific concepts, now covering microscopic organisms such as bacteria and microscopic fungi. This allowed an ancient botanical character to take on a vital role in modern medical and scientific terminology.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

细菌在显微镜下才能看到。

Xìjūn zài xiǎnwēijìng xià cái néng kàndào.

Bacteria can only be seen under a microscope.

这种真菌生长在潮湿的地方。

Zhè zhǒng zhēnjūn shēngzhǎng zài cháoshī de dìfāng.

This type of fungus grows in damp places.

不要吃那些发霉有霉菌的食物。

Bùyào chī nàxiē fāméi yǒu méijūn de shíwù.

Don't eat that moldy food which has mold fungi.

蘑菇是一种可食用的菌类。

Mógu shì yī zhǒng kě shíyòng de jūnlèi.

Mushrooms are a type of edible fungus.

抗生素可以有效杀死致病菌。

Kàngshēngsù kěyǐ yǒuxiào shāsǐ zhìbìngjūn.

Antibiotics can effectively kill pathogenic bacteria.

微生物包括细菌、病毒和真菌。

Wēishēngwù bāokuò xìjūn, bìngdú hé zhēnjūn.

Microorganisms include bacteria, viruses, and fungi.

实验室正在培育一种新的菌株。

Shíyànshì zhèngzài péiyù yī zhǒng xīn de jūnzhū.

The laboratory is cultivating a new strain of bacteria.

研究者通过基因工程改造了这种酵母菌。

Yánjiū zhě tōngguò jīyīn gōngchéng gǎizàole zhè zhǒng jiàomǔjūn.

Researchers have genetically modified this strain of yeast through genetic engineering.

Related Characters

Component: 囷

Component: 艹

菌