Short for venereal disease — an illness passed from one person to another through sex. The meaning is straightforward, but the word itself needs care, because it is old-fashioned in a way that matters.

Short for venereal disease是venereal disease的縮寫 — an illness passed from one person to another through sex一種透過性行為在人與人之間傳染的疾病。The meaning is straightforward意思很直接, but the word itself needs care不過這個字本身要小心使用, because it is old-fashioned in a way that matters因為它有一種很重要的過時感。

VD was the normal term for decades, on wartime posters and in old health leaflets, and because of that history it now sounds heavy with shame and blame. Doctors and health services stopped using it; today they say STD (sexually transmitted disease) or, more current still, STI (sexually transmitted infection) — infection rather than disease, because a person can carry one without feeling ill.

VD was the normal term for decadesVD曾經是好幾十年來的常用說法, on wartime posters and in old health leaflets出現在戰時的海報和舊的衛教傳單上, and because of that history it now sounds heavy with shame and blame也因為這段歷史，現在聽起來帶著沉重的羞恥和責備感。Doctors and health services stopped using it醫生和衛生機構已經不再使用它; today they say STD (sexually transmitted disease) or, more current still, STI (sexually transmitted infection)現在他們會說STD（性傳染病）、或更新的說法STI（性傳染感染） — infection rather than disease, because a person can carry one without feeling ill用infection而不是disease，是因為一個人可能帶原卻不覺得不舒服。

So if you are speaking or writing now, use STI or STD. Where you will still meet VD is in older books and films, in the speech of older people, and sometimes as a rough insult, which is exactly why a learner should recognise it but not reach for it.

So if you are speaking or writing now所以如果你現在要說或寫, use STI or STD請用STI或STD。Where you will still meet VD is in older books and films你還會在舊書和舊電影裡遇到VD, in the speech of older people在年長者的口語裡也是, and sometimes as a rough insult有時候也會被當成粗魯的罵人話, which is exactly why a learner should recognise it but not reach for it這正是為什麼學習者應該認得這個字，但不要自己拿來用。

Say it letter by letter: vee-dee.

Say it letter by letter: vee-dee一個字母一個字母唸：vee-dee。

One more thing: on a menu or a wine list, and in some other contexts, the same two letters stand for something completely different, so read the sentence around it.

One more thing另外還有一點: on a menu or a wine list在菜單或酒單上, and in some other contexts還有其他一些場合, the same two letters stand for something completely different同樣這兩個字母代表的是完全不同的東西, so read the sentence around it所以要看上下文才知道意思。