Qi is air in tire?

[alstone]

Ni Hao, all.

I'm writing a paper for a traditional Chinese medicine doctoral program. This particular paper is examining the recently proposed idea that Qi is actually a gas found in every cell of the body called Nitric Oxide.

While this theory is compelling, I'm in the process of questioning some of the assumptions made, primarily that Qi is any one thing at all. Its more of a conglomeration of functions rather than one particular gas.

As I'm defining Qi by TCM standards, I'm also reminded of how one day, I went bike riding with a Chinese lady who is an acupuncturist. Her tire was low on air, but she didn't have the words in English necessary to tell me that her tire needed air. Rather she said that it was lacking "Qi".

My question to you is, in common Mandarin, is the air put into tires referred to as Qi, or did she just use that word because she couldn't say it in English and she knew that I would understand?

Thanks in advance.

-al.

[Quest]

氣 (Qi4) means air, gas, breath --- anything that's gaseous.

Air pumping is referred to as 打氣 (Lit. hit air / pump air)

In traditional philosophies, the human body has two types of circulations, blood & Qi. Why Qi? I guess since we breathe in "air", but Qi is interpreted by the average ppl as internal energy flow. 氣功 is the art of harnessing and freely controlling this energy flow.

[Desmond]

So the basic answer to your question is: yes. If you need more are in your tires, you can use the word 气

Many words have ancient, poetic meanings, and modern-day, ordinary meanings. Take 和 for example. I've seen it as meaning 'harmony'. But in modern day Chinese it's used as 'and'.

Hope that helps.

[HashiriKata]

Many words have ancient, poetic meanings, and modern-day, ordinary meanings. Take 和 for example. I've seen it as meaning 'harmony'. But in modern day Chinese it's used as 'and'.

I think it may be our tendency to romanticize the past that leads to this conclusion . I think on the whole modern Chinese and ancient Chinese cover both types of meanings (poetic & practical) in equal measure. Even the 和 you cited can be taken as an example of this (= it still means "harmony, peace").

Still, we in morden day may try to be not too poetic, and this isn't really confined to the Chinese culture or language.

[Desmond]

One thing that I mentioned in a thread a while ago, and still sort of believe, is how in Mainland style, the switch to simplified may have had an effect on creating a more "historical feel" to the written language. Now that you see 气 everywhere as being the common character for air, then prehaps the traditional 氣 can hold a more historial feel to it.... as traditional is still mainly used for more historical and artistic purposes in the mainland.

Of course I'm not a native speaker, so my opinion is definitely up for debate.