鼻炎 (bí yán) literally means 'nose inflammation' — 鼻 (bí) means 'nose', and 炎 (yán) means 'inflammation' or 'swelling'. It is the standard medical term for rhinitis: a condition where the nasal mucosa becomes inflamed, often causing sneezing, congestion, runny nose, or itching. It can be triggered by allergies (e.g., pollen, dust mites), infections (like colds), or environmental irritants (such as smoke or strong odors).

In everyday Chinese, 鼻炎 is commonly used in clinical contexts (e.g., doctor visits, prescriptions) and informal discussions about chronic symptoms. People may refer to allergic rhinitis as 过敏性鼻炎 (guòmǐn xìng bí yán) or chronic rhinitis as 慢性鼻炎 (mànxìng bí yán). Unlike colloquial terms like 感冒 (gǎnmào, 'common cold'), 鼻炎 specifically denotes nasal inflammation — not necessarily infectious — and often implies recurring or long-term discomfort.