鼠疫 (shǔyì): plague

Meanings

HSK 6

中世纪的鼠疫夺去了无数人的生命。

Zhōngshìjì de shǔyì duóqù le wúshù rén de shēngmìng.

The plague in the Middle Ages claimed countless lives.

HSK 7-9

鼠疫是一种由细菌引起的传染病。

Shǔyì shì yī zhǒng yóu xìjūn yǐnqǐ de chuánrǎnbìng.

Plague is an infectious disease caused by bacteria.

memory

鼠 (rat) + 疫 (epidemic) = plague. The name directly tells you the cause: rats spread the plague.

culture

Albert Camus's novel 'The Plague' is titled 《鼠疫》 in Chinese, a widely read work in Chinese literary circles.

鼠 shǔ

疫 yì