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症 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
Hanzi
Pinyin
English
Tags
症
zhèng
disease
HSK 3, zg, 10 strokes, radical 疒, rank #1936, Medium
症
zhèng
illness
HSK 3, zg, 10 strokes, radical 疒, rank #1936, Medium
症
zhèng
abdominal tumor
HSK 3, zg, 10 strokes, radical 疒, rank #1936, Medium
症
zhèng
bowel obstruction
HSK 3, zg, 10 strokes, radical 疒, rank #1936, Medium
症
zhèng
(fig.) sticking point
HSK 3, zg, 10 strokes, radical 疒, rank #1936, Medium
症
zhèng
ailment, disease, illness
HSK 3, zg, 10 strokes, radical 疒, rank #1936, Medium
症
zhēng
disease
HSK 3, zg, 10 strokes, radical 疒, rank #1936, Medium
症
zhēng
illness
HSK 3, zg, 10 strokes, radical 疒, rank #1936, Medium
症
zhēng
abdominal tumor
HSK 3, zg, 10 strokes, radical 疒, rank #1936, Medium
症
zhēng
bowel obstruction
HSK 3, zg, 10 strokes, radical 疒, rank #1936, Medium
症
zhēng
(fig.) sticking point
HSK 3, zg, 10 strokes, radical 疒, rank #1936, Medium
症
zhēng
ailment, disease, illness
HSK 3, zg, 10 strokes, radical 疒, rank #1936, Medium
zhēng(zheng1)zheng
primary
T1
1disease
2illness
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
症zhēng(zheng1)
The character 症 (zhēng) primarily refers to a disease or illness, often used in medical contexts. It can also denote a specific condition or ailment, such as a tumor or bowel obstruction, and metaphorically represent a sticking point in discussions or situations.
Strokes10Radical疒Frequency#1936DifficultyMedium
Cultural note
In traditional Chinese medicine, understanding the symptoms (症状) of an illness is crucial for diagnosis and treatment, reflecting the holistic approach to health prevalent in Chinese culture.
Memory tip
Imagine a big 'Z' for 'zhēng' shaped like a medical symbol. Visualize a doctor diagnosing a patient with a serious 'disease' (think of the radical 病 - bìng, which relates to sickness). Connecting the image of a health issue with the sound 'zhēng' helps solidify the meaning.
Meanings of 症
zhēng(zheng1)
primary
1disease
2illness
Exercise 1 of 3
By ear
Play it, then pick what 症 means.
About 症
症Simplified
10Strokes
疒Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#1936Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L3
Podcast: 症
Podcast: 症
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AI study notes for 症
Quick Contrast
病 (bìng) refers to illness in a broader sense, while 症 (zhēng) specifically denotes a condition or symptom related to a disease.
Usage Notes
Learners often confuse 症 with 病 (bìng), which is a more general term for illness. 症 is more specific, often used in clinical settings. Pay attention to proper tone pronunciation, as a mispronunciation can change the meaning.
HSK Study Tips
Though 症 is not included in the HSK vocabulary lists, it is related to other medical terms you may encounter. Focus on recognizing symptoms (症状 - zhèngzhuàng) and discussions that involve health to expand your understanding.
Common Mistakes
Learners might mistakenly use 病 instead of 症 when discussing specific symptoms, e.g., saying '我有病' (wǒ yǒu bìng - I have an illness) when they mean '我有症状' (wǒ yǒu zhèngzhuàng - I have symptoms). Always use 症 when referring to specific conditions or symptoms.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 症
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How well do you know 症?
Example
Learning Lab
Knowing 症 is seven skills, not one.
Its meaning, its character, its pinyin, its tone — hearing it, saying it, writing it. The Learning Lab measures each one from your own practice, on every word you study, so you see what you actually know rather than how much you have done.
症 = 疒 + 正. What kind of character does that make it?
Decomposition of 症
IDS Structure⿸疒正
症Full character
=
疒ne4
enclosing
正zheng1
inner
Exercise 1 of 2
Parts
Which of these is part of 症?
How to say disease in Chinese
“disease” in Chinese is症zhèng
The character 症 (zhēng) primarily refers to a disease or illness, often used in medical contexts. It can also denote a specific condition or ailment, such as a tumor or bowel obstruction, and metaphorically represent a sticking point in discussions or situations.
When to use 症
Learners often confuse 症 with 病 (bìng), which is a more general term for illness. 症 is more specific, often used in clinical settings. Pay attention to proper tone pronunciation, as a mispronunciation can change the meaning.
症 or something close to it
病 (bìng) refers to illness in a broader sense, while 症 (zhēng) specifically denotes a condition or symptom related to a disease.
What learners get wrong
Learners might mistakenly use 病 instead of 症 when discussing specific symptoms, e.g., saying '我有病' (wǒ yǒu bìng - I have an illness) when they mean '我有症状' (wǒ yǒu zhèngzhuàng - I have symptoms). Always use 症 when referring to specific conditions or symptoms.
Write 症
症
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Practice writing 症 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
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Grammar patterns of 症
症 carries 6 distinct meanings. Below you'll find the patterns that show how it combines with other words, plus example sentences pulled directly from native usage.
Exercise 1 of 4
Fill the gap
Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.
这是眼睑边缘红肿发炎的____状。
This is an irritation and inflammation of the edge of the eyelid.
Common confusions with 症
症vs政
zhèng
Similar pronunciation but different meanings and radicals.
症vs证
zhèng
Similar pronunciation and similar shape but different meanings.
Exercise 1 of 1
Which one
Which one means “disease”?
or
Example sentences for 症 (10)
Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
这是眼睑边缘红肿发炎的症状。
zhè shì yǎn jiǎn biānyuán hóng zhǒng fāyán de zhèngzhuàng。
This is an irritation and inflammation of the edge of the eyelid.
2
抑郁症使他不止一次地企图自杀。
yìyùzhèng shǐ tā bùzhǐ yī cì dì qǐtú zìshā。
More than once, depression drove him to attempt suicide.
3
他被诊断患有严重的阅读困难症，但是却绝顶聪明。
tā bèi zhěnduàn huànyǒu yánzhòng de yuèdú kùnnan zhēng， dànshì què jué dǐng cōngmíng。
He was diagnosed as severely dyslexic but extraordinarily bright.
Yes, in Chinese medicine, 症 (zhèng) can refer to various types of conditions, such as '热症' (rèzhèng) for heat syndromes or '寒症' (hánzhèng) for cold syndromes. Understanding these distinctions is important for diagnosing and treating patients in traditional Chinese medicine.
Common phrases using 症 (zhèng) include '疾病症状' (jíbìng zhèngzhuàng), meaning 'disease symptoms,' and '慢性症' (mànxìng zhèng), which translates to 'chronic disease.' These phrases are frequently used in healthcare discussions and documentation.
症 (zhèng) refers to a disease or illness in Chinese. It is often used in medical contexts to describe various health conditions. Additionally, it can denote specific terms like abdominal tumor or bowel obstruction. In a figurative sense, it can also refer to a 'sticking point' in discussions.
To use 症 (zhèng) in a sentence, you can say, '他得了严重的疾病和症状' (Tā dé le yánzhòng de jíbìng hé zhèngzhuàng), which translates to 'He has a serious illness and symptoms.' This demonstrates how the character can relate to both illness and symptoms in a medical context.
症 refers to specific conditions or symptoms, while 病 is a broader term for illness or disease.
Yes, it can metaphorically describe sticking points in discussions or problems.
It is pronounced with a high-level tone, like 'zhēng'.
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