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| 危害 [2025/08/10 12:19] – created xiaoer | 危害 [Unknown date] (current) – removed - external edit (Unknown date) 127.0.0.1 |
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| ====== wēihài: 危害 - To Harm, Endanger, Jeopardize ====== | |
| ===== Quick Summary ===== | |
| * **Keywords:** weihai, wei hai, 危害, what does weihai mean, Chinese for harm, Chinese for endanger, Chinese for jeopardize, Chinese threat, public safety Chinese, damage, danger, risk, harmful | |
| * **Summary:** Learn the meaning and use of **危害 (wēihài)**, a key Chinese term for "to harm," "endanger," or "jeopardize." This page explains how **危害 (wēihài)** is used in formal contexts like public health, law, and environmental safety to describe serious threats and damage. Discover its cultural significance and compare it to similar words like `伤害 (shānghài)` to master its usage. | |
| ===== Core Meaning ===== | |
| * **Pinyin (with tone marks):** wēihài | |
| * **Part of Speech:** Verb, Noun | |
| * **HSK Level:** HSK 5 | |
| * **Concise Definition:** To harm, endanger, or jeopardize; the harm or danger itself. | |
| * **In a Nutshell:** **危害 (wēihài)** is a strong, formal term used to describe something that causes serious, negative consequences or poses a significant threat. Think less about a simple injury and more about a large-scale risk to health, safety, the environment, or stability. It can be used as a verb ("to endanger") or a noun ("the harm of..."). It carries a sense of gravity and is often found in official warnings, news reports, and scientific discussions. | |
| ===== Character Breakdown ===== | |
| * **危 (wēi):** This character means "danger," "peril," or "to endanger." It's the same character used in the word for "crisis" (`危机 wēijī`) and "dangerous" (`危险 wēixiǎn`). It evokes a sense of precariousness and risk. | |
| * **害 (hài):** This character means "harm," "damage," or "to cause trouble for." It's found in words like "harmful insect" (`害虫 hàichóng`) and "to be afraid" (`害怕 hàipà`). | |
| When combined, **危害 (wēihài)** literally means "danger-harm." The two characters reinforce each other to create a powerful term that signifies a serious and objective threat or the damage resulting from it. | |
| ===== Cultural Context and Significance ===== | |
| In Chinese culture, there is a strong emphasis on collective well-being, social order, and stability. The term **危害 (wēihài)** is a cornerstone of the language used to uphold these values. It is frequently employed by the government, media, and public institutions to label and warn against threats to the collective good. | |
| A useful comparison is to the English word "harm." While you can say "gossip can harm a reputation," the Chinese equivalent might use a different word for such personal situations. **危害 (wēihài)** is typically reserved for more significant, often impersonal or systemic, issues. For instance, the phrase **吸烟危害健康 (xīyān wēihài jiànkāng)** — "Smoking endangers health" — is a standard public health warning. It frames smoking not just as a bad personal habit but as a scientifically recognized public health threat. | |
| This usage reflects a perspective where identifying and mitigating large-scale risks (**危害**) is a critical responsibility for both the state and the individual to ensure societal harmony and safety. | |
| ===== Practical Usage in Modern China ===== | |
| **危害 (wēihài)** is most common in formal written and spoken Chinese. You will rarely hear it used between friends discussing a minor disagreement. | |
| * **Public Health and Safety:** It is the standard term for PSAs, medical advice, and safety warnings. (e.g., warnings about food safety, pollution, or unhealthy habits). | |
| * **Law and Politics:** It is used in legal documents and official statements, especially in phrases like **危害国家安全 (wēihài guójiā ānquán)**, meaning "to endanger national security." | |
| * **Environmental Science:** It's used to describe the damaging effects of pollution, climate change, or deforestation on ecosystems. | |
| * **As a Verb:** It means "to endanger" or "to jeopardize." | |
| * //e.g., 这种化学品会**危害**环境。(Zhè zhǒng huàxué pǐn huì **wēihài** huánjìng.) - This chemical will **harm** the environment.// | |
| * **As a Noun:** It means "harm" or "danger" (in the sense of a damaging effect). | |
| * //e.g., 我们必须了解垃圾分类不当的**危害**。(Wǒmen bìxū liǎojiě lājī fēnlèi bùdàng de **wēihài**.) - We must understand the **harm** of improper trash sorting.// | |
| Its connotation is always serious and negative. | |
| ===== Example Sentences ===== | |
| * **Example 1:** | |
| * 吸烟**危害**健康。 | |
| * Pinyin: Xīyān **wēihài** jiànkāng. | |
| * English: Smoking harms health. | |
| * Analysis: This is a classic, set phrase used in public service announcements across China. `危害` here is a verb, establishing smoking as a serious public health threat. | |
| * **Example 2:** | |
| * 这种行为严重**危害**了国家安全。 | |
| * Pinyin: Zhè zhǒng xíngwéi yánzhòng **wēihài** le guójiā ānquán. | |
| * English: This type of behavior seriously endangered national security. | |
| * Analysis: A very formal and official sentence you would hear in the news or read in a government report. The adverb `严重 (yánzhòng)` meaning "seriously" often precedes `危害`. | |
| * **Example 3:** | |
| * 我们应该认识到空气污染的**危害**。 | |
| * Pinyin: Wǒmen yīnggāi rènshí dào kōngqì wūrǎn de **wēihài**. | |
| * English: We should recognize the dangers of air pollution. | |
| * Analysis: Here, `危害` is used as a noun, meaning "the harm" or "the dangers." It refers to the collective negative effects of pollution. | |
| * **Example 4:** | |
| * 传播虚假信息会**危害**社会稳定。 | |
| * Pinyin: Chuánbō xūjiǎ xìnxī huì **wēihài** shèhuì wěndìng. | |
| * English: Spreading false information can jeopardize social stability. | |
| * Analysis: This sentence shows `危害` being applied to an abstract concept: "social stability" (`社会稳定`). This is a very common usage in official discourse. | |
| * **Example 5:** | |
| * 长期熬夜对身体的**危害**很大。 | |
| * Pinyin: Chángqī áoyè duì shēntǐ de **wēihài** hěn dà. | |
| * English: The harm of frequently staying up late to one's body is very significant. | |
| * Analysis: A more daily-life, health-related example. `危害` is a noun here, modified by `很大` (very big) to describe the extent of the damage. | |
| * **Example 6:** | |
| * 酒后驾车不仅**危害**自己，也**危害**他人。 | |
| * Pinyin: Jiǔhòu jiàchē bùjǐn **wēihài** zìjǐ, yě **wēihài** tārén. | |
| * English: Drunk driving not only endangers yourself, but it also endangers others. | |
| * Analysis: This sentence uses a common structure `不仅...也...` (not only... but also...) to show the wide-ranging danger of an action. | |
| * **Example 7:** | |
| * 这种杀虫剂会不会**危害**农作物？ | |
| * Pinyin: Zhè zhǒng shāchóngjì huì bù huì **wēihài** nóngzuòwù? | |
| * English: Will this pesticide harm the crops? | |
| * Analysis: A practical question about the potential negative impact of a substance. It shows `危害` used in the context of agriculture and ecology. | |
| * **Example 8:** | |
| * 任何**危害**公司利益的行为都将被追究。 | |
| * Pinyin: Rènhé **wēihài** gōngsī lìyì de xíngwéi dōu jiāng bèi zhuījiū. | |
| * English: Any behavior that jeopardizes the company's interests will be investigated. | |
| * Analysis: This demonstrates the use of `危害` in a business or corporate context, referring to abstract "interests" (`利益`). | |
| * **Example 9:** | |
| * 我们低估了网络成瘾的**危害**性。 | |
| * Pinyin: Wǒmen dīgū le wǎngluò chéngyǐn de **wēihài** xìng. | |
| * English: We underestimated the harmfulness of internet addiction. | |
| * Analysis: The suffix `性 (-xìng)` is added to `危害` to create a noun, `危害性`, which means "harmfulness" or "perniciousness." | |
| * **Example 10:** | |
| * 为了保护儿童，我们必须消除所有潜在的**危害**。 | |
| * Pinyin: Wèile bǎohù értóng, wǒmen bìxū xiāochú suǒyǒu qiánzài de **wēihài**. | |
| * English: In order to protect children, we must eliminate all potential harms. | |
| * Analysis: Here, `危害` is used as a noun to mean "harms" or "dangers." `潜在的 (qiánzài de)` means "potential," showing that `危害` can refer to risks that have not yet caused damage. | |
| ===== Nuances and Common Mistakes ===== | |
| The most common mistake for learners is confusing **危害 (wēihài)** with **伤害 (shānghài)**. | |
| * **危害 (wēihài):** Impersonal, formal, large-scale. Refers to endangering or harming systems, health, safety, the environment, or abstract concepts like stability and reputation. It's about risk and negative consequence. | |
| * **伤害 (shānghài):** Personal, direct. Refers to causing physical injury or emotional hurt to a person or animal. It's about a specific instance of being hurt. | |
| **Incorrect Usage Example:** | |
| > 他的话**危害**了我的感情。 | |
| > (Tā de huà **wēihài** le wǒ de gǎnqíng.) | |
| **Why it's wrong:** This is incorrect because "feelings" (`感情`) are personal and subjective. `危害` is too formal and impersonal. It sounds like you are writing a legal report about your feelings. | |
| **Correct Usage:** | |
| > 他的话**伤害**了我的感情。 | |
| > (Tā de huà **shānghài** le wǒ de gǎnqíng.) | |
| > //English: His words hurt my feelings.// | |
| Think of it this way: A bully **伤害 (shānghài)** another student. Pollution **危害 (wēihài)** a city's population. | |
| ===== Related Terms and Concepts ===== | |
| * [[伤害]] (shānghài) - To injure, to hurt. More personal and direct than `危害`. | |
| * [[危险]] (wēixiǎn) - Dangerous (adjective); danger (noun). `危险` describes the state or quality of being unsafe, while `危害` is often the action of causing harm or the resulting damage. | |
| * [[损害]] (sǔnhài) - To damage, to harm. Often used for abstract things like interests (`利益`), reputation (`名誉`), or relationships (`关系`). It overlaps with `危害` but can sometimes be less severe. | |
| * [[威胁]] (wēixié) - To threaten; threat. A `威胁` is the //potential// for harm, while a `危害` can be the action or //result// of that harm being realized. | |
| * [[不利]] (búlì) - Unfavorable, disadvantageous. A much milder term that describes a situation that is not helpful, but not necessarily dangerous. | |
| * [[风险]] (fēngxiǎn) - Risk. The quantifiable or perceived probability of a negative outcome, which could be a `危害`. | |
| * [[弊端]] (bìduān) - Drawback, disadvantage. The inherent negative aspects or problems within a system, plan, or policy. | |
| * [[后果]] (hòuguǒ) - Consequence, aftermath. Can be neutral or negative. A `危害` is always a negative `后果`. | |