血液（けつえき、ketsueki）
- blood (medical)

The Japanese word 血液 （けつえき, ketsueki） means "blood". It refers to the red fluid that circulates throughout the body of animals, transporting oxygen, nutrients, and waste products. It is essential for life and plays a crucial role in maintaining overall health. The word 血液 can also refer to blood samples used for medical testing or research.

⚫︎ 献血で血液を提供しました。 Translation: I donated blood. ⚫︎ 医者は患者の血液検査をしました。 Translation: The doctor performed a blood test on the patient. ⚫︎ 彼は事故で大量の血液を失った。 Translation: He lost a lot of blood in the accident.

You use 血液 in conversations related to medicine, health, biology, and injury. It's suitable for discussing blood transfusions, blood tests, blood types, and blood loss. It is a very common word in these contexts. You wouldn't typically use it casually in everyday conversation, unless the context specifically warrants it.

⚫︎ The word 血液 is primarily written using kanji: 血液. ⚫︎ The reading is けつえき (ketsueki). ⚫︎ It is not typically written in hiragana or katakana unless for emphasis or in very specific situations. ⚫︎ There are no variations in okurigana.

There are no direct synonyms for the word 血液 that completely replace its meaning in every context. However, related words or phrases could be used depending on the nuance: ⚫︎ 血（ち, chi): This is a more general term for "blood" and is used in a wider variety of contexts and expressions, including figurative ones. However, 血液 is the more technical and formal term. ⚫︎ 血清（けっせい, kessei): This means "serum" (the fluid part of blood after clotting). ⚫︎ 血液型（けつえきがた, ketsuekigata): Blood type.

There aren't direct antonyms for 血液. However, words or phrases related to the absence or loss of blood could be considered opposite in certain contexts: ⚫︎ 止血（しけつ, shiketsu): The act of stopping bleeding. ⚫︎ 貧血（ひんけつ, hinketsu): Anemia (lack of blood or red blood cells).

彼は《血液型を調べるために病院へ行った。》 ・Translation: He went to the hospital to check his blood type. ・Explanation: This sentence uses 血液 to refer to the object of determining one's blood type.

怪我をして、《血液が止まらない。》 ・Translation: I am injured and the blood won't stop. ・Explanation: This sentence uses 血液 in the context of an injury and the subsequent issue of blood not stopping.

The word 血液 is a compound word formed from two kanji: ⚫︎ 血（けつ, ketsu): meaning "blood". ⚫︎ 液（えき, eki): meaning "liquid" or "fluid". Therefore, the combined meaning is literally "blood fluid." This accurately reflects the nature of 血液.