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.
病
Common Usage & Traps
- 生病 — to get sick; to fall ill
- 病人 — patient; sick person
- 病了 — became ill; is sick
- 看病 — to see a doctor
- 医院 — 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 | 病 | 疼 |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | sick; illness | pain; to hurt |
| Example | 他生病了。He got sick. | 我头疼。My head hurts. |
| Part of speech | noun / verb / adjective | verb / 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | to get sick; to fall ill | to have an illness; (colloquial) to be crazy |
| Tone | neutral | often negative or insulting |
| Example | 他生病了。He got sick. | 你有病吧？Are you crazy? |
Appears in Stories 5 stories
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 了，在医院的三号房间住。
-
马家友 病 好了，要去谢谢谢医生。
-
老先生回家了，不在 病房 。
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 医生看，医生问问题。
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，回国第七日， 生病 第一天。
-
看病 非常贵，吃饭不便宜。
Discover how a simple letter from a cookie seller led to an unexpected friendship with a famous scholar. This heartwarming story explores kindness and connection across social divides.
-
有一次他得了 心脏病 ，住进医院。
-
他的一个朋友拿了一块饼干送到他的 病房 ，跟他开玩笑：“我给你吃一样东西。
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.
-
要 看病 ，去哪里？
Questions & Discussion 0 questions
No questions or discussions yet. Have a question about this character/word? Be the first to ask!