bìng

Origin & Mnemonic:

Serious illness or disease. To be sick; illness, disease, defect, or fault. A sickbed radical (疒) draped over a person, with 丙 (bǐng) suggesting the sound.

Common Usage & Traps

  • 生病 (shēngbìng) — to get sick; to fall ill
  • 病人 (bìngrén) — patient; sick person
  • 病了 (bìng le) — became ill; is sick
  • 看病 (kànbìng) — to see a doctor
  • 医院 (yīyuàn) — hospital
  • 有病了 生病了

    有病 often means 'to have something wrong' or 'to be crazy' in colloquial Chinese; for getting sick, use 生病了.

  • 病医院 医院

    医院 already means hospital; 病 cannot directly modify 医院 this way.

What is the difference between 病 and 疼?

病 means sick or illness; 疼 means pain or ache.

病 describes a state of being ill or a disease. 疼 describes a physical sensation of pain. You can be 病了 without feeling 疼, and you can feel 疼 without being 病了.

Dimension
Meaningsick; illnesspain; to hurt
Example他生病了。He got sick.我头疼。My head hurts.
Part of speechnoun / verb / adjectiveverb / adjective

Is 有病 the same as 生病?

No. 生病 means to get sick; 有病 often means 'to be crazy' or 'to have a problem'.

生病 is the neutral, standard way to say someone has fallen ill. 有病 can literally mean 'to have an illness', but in everyday speech it is often used as an insult meaning 'you're crazy' or 'there's something wrong with you'. For HSK 1, use 生病 for getting sick.

Dimension生病有病
Meaningto get sick; to fall illto have an illness; (colloquial) to be crazy
Toneneutraloften negative or insulting
Example他生病了。He got sick.你有病吧?Are you crazy?

Appears in Stories 4 stories

《三号病房的苹果》 The Apple in Ward Three
HSK 1 ~3 min read 191 chars
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Enjoy this simple story about a patient and a mysterious apple. It shows how a small act of kindness can make someone feel at home, and you'll learn key words for feelings and daily life.

  • 马家友 生病 医院三号房间

  • 马家友好了谢谢谢医生

  • 老先生回家不在 病房

《医生问问题》 Doctor Asks Questions
HSK 1 ~1 min read 60 chars
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Before you read: this is a short rhyming poem. You will meet a doctor who asks about seeing and hearing. Try to spot words you already know!

  • 生病 看医生看见看不见

  • 看病 医生医生问题

《一二三 住医院》 Hospital Days, Pricey Plates
HSK 1 ~2 min read 107 chars
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Follow a traveler's unexpected hospital stay in China, where counting days and costs becomes practical learning. Practice numbers, dates, food prices, and simple descriptions of a doctor and room.

  • 二零一九年八月十六日回国第七 生病 第一

  • 看病 非常吃饭便宜

《问问题》 Asking Questions
HSK 1 ~2 min read 107 chars
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Before you read, think about the questions you ask every day. This simple poem shows you how to ask age, price, time, and more in friendly Chinese.

  • 看病 哪里

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