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March 24, 2026
病bìng(bing4)
The character 病 (bìng) means 'illness' or 'disease'. It is commonly used to refer to any kind of health issue or sickness, whether minor or severe. In medical contexts, it can also imply a defect or malfunction in something, not just in a biological sense.
Strokes10Radical疒Frequency#826DifficultyEasy
Cultural Note
In traditional Chinese medicine, the concept of '病' (bìng) is not just about physical symptoms but also encompasses emotional and spiritual health, highlighting the holistic approach to well-being.
Memory Tip
Imagine a sick person lying in bed, surrounded by a 'binge' of tissues and medicine. The radical 疒 (disease) clearly signifies sickness, while the sound 'bìng' can remind you of the word 'binge', as in binge-watching shows when you're too sick to go out.
Meanings of 病
bìng(bing4)
1illness
2disease
Exercise 1 of 2
Listen & Choose the Meaning
Choose the correct answer:
About 病
病Simplified
10Strokes
疒Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#826Frequency Rank
场Measure Word
HSK 3.0L1ElementaryTOCFLL1YCTL1HSKKL1CEFRA1
Podcast: 病
Podcast: 病
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AI Study Notes for 病
Quick Contrast
病 (bìng) vs 疾病 (jíbìng) — use 病 for general health issues, while 疾病 specifically refers to diseases.
Usage Notes
Be cautious with the tone; '病' (bìng) has a fourth tone and can be confused with other similar-sounding words. It's often used in both formal and informal registers, especially in medical discussions. Common collocations include '生病' (shēng bìng - to fall ill) and '疾病' (jíbìng - disease).
HSK Study Tips
While '病' is not specifically listed in the HSK levels, it is relevant for HSK 3 and above since it relates to health topics. Students should focus on its usage in phrases and its connection to other health-related vocabulary.
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse '病' (bìng) with '痛' (tòng), which means 'pain'. For instance, saying '我有痛' (Wǒ yǒu tòng - I have pain) instead of '我生病了' (Wǒ shēng bìng le - I am sick) can lead to misunderstanding.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 病
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Phonosemantic compound. 疒 represents the meaning and 丙 represents the sound.
1The meaning half疒 carries the sense.
2The sound half丙 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
3The giveawaysickness
4On the record aspictophonetic.
Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.
Want the full history of 病? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.
Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1
Character Formation Type
What type of character formation is 病?
Decomposition of 病
IDS Structure⿸疒丙
病Full Character
=
疒ne4
enclosing
丙bing3
inner
Exercise 1 of 2
Identify the Components
Which of these is a component of 病?
How to say illness in Chinese
“illness” in Chinese is病bìng
The character 病 (bìng) means 'illness' or 'disease'. It is commonly used to refer to any kind of health issue or sickness, whether minor or severe. In medical contexts, it can also imply a defect or malfunction in something, not just in a biological sense.
When to use 病
Be cautious with the tone; '病' (bìng) has a fourth tone and can be confused with other similar-sounding words. It's often used in both formal and informal registers, especially in medical discussions. Common collocations include '生病' (shēng bìng - to fall ill) and '疾病' (jíbìng - disease).
病 or something close to it
病 (bìng) vs 疾病 (jíbìng) — use 病 for general health issues, while 疾病 specifically refers to diseases.
What learners get wrong
Learners often confuse '病' (bìng) with '痛' (tòng), which means 'pain'. For instance, saying '我有痛' (Wǒ yǒu tòng - I have pain) instead of '我生病了' (Wǒ shēng bìng le - I am sick) can lead to misunderstanding.
Write 病
病
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Practice writing 病 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
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Grammar Patterns of 病
病 functions as a noun — it names a person, place, thing, or concept. Place it as a subject before the verb (主+谓) or as an object after the verb (谓+宾). Most Chinese nouns require a measure word between the number and the noun (e.g. 一个/三本). It carries 5 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.
