Guide to Allergies in Chinese

Spring is a wonderful season. The long, dark, winter months are behind us.

We are ready to enjoy the rebirth of nature. The days are starting to get longer and it starts to feel warmer.

Birdsong reaches a peak during this season. Hibernating animals come out of their winter sleep and flowers bloom.

Everything returns to a state of luscious green and vibrant colours, but, wait… it’s not all a bed of roses!

While discussing all the positive aspects of Spring there is one “minor” detail we forgot to mention which varies on the person. Allergic reactions!

Starting from allergies common in Spring, let’s learn how to talk about allergies in Chinese!

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“I am Allergic” in Chinese

The word for “allergic” and also “allergy” in Chinese is 过敏 (guòmǐn) so it can be both a noun or a verb.

If you want to say “I have a skin allergy” you would say “我有皮肤过敏” (Wǒ yǒu pífū guòmǐn).

However, if you want to say “I am allergic to something”, to dust, for example, you would say “我对灰尘过敏” (Wǒ duì huīchén guòmǐn)…

Literally “我 I + 对 to + 灰尘 dust + 过敏 allergic”.

So if you want to say you are allergic to pollen in Chinese you’d say “我对花粉过敏” (Wǒ duì huāfěn guòmǐn).

Pollen in Chinese is literally “flower powder” = 花 (huā) flower + 粉(fěn) powder.

Another common allergy typical of Springtime is “hay fever” (allergic rhinitis).

The nemesis of so many around the world! Hay Fever is characterized by a runny nose 流鼻涕 (liú bítì) 流 “to flow”+ 鼻涕 “nasal mucus”, sneezing 打喷嚏(dǎ pēntì), and stuffy nose 鼻塞 (bísè).

“Hay fever” in Chinese is “花粉症” (huāfěn zhèng). The character 症 (zhèng) is used for any kind of disease or illness.

What about addressing someone after they sneeze?

“Bless You” in Chinese

During Chinese classes when foreign students ask, teachers usually say that the Mandarin version of “Bless you” 一百岁 (Yībǎi suì) which literally means “one hundred years”

This is to wish to the one who sneezed to live 100 years, because, as we know sneezing cuts years off your life!

We hope our post was useful for you when talking about allergies in Chinese.

We have more coverage on allergies in China including our post on Danger Zones in China if you are allergic to peanuts, alongside much more.

Allergies in Chinese – FAQ’s

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