慢性

mànxìng

adjective HSK 7 #13,482

Meanings

1 chronic (of illness)
2 slow-developing

Characters

nature; property

Literally 'slow nature' — a condition that develops gradually over time.

Examples

糖尿病是一种慢性疾病。

Tángniàobìng shì yì zhǒng mànxìng jíbìng.

Diabetes is a chronic disease.

慢性病需要长期治疗。

Mànxìngbìng xūyào chángqī zhìliáo.

Chronic diseases require long-term treatment.

Tips

usage

慢性 is the opposite of 急性 (jíxìng, acute). Both are medical terms that also work metaphorically: 慢性中毒 can mean literal slow poisoning or the figurative 'slow poison' of a bad environment or habit.

Stroke Order

慢 màn

性 xìng