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生病 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
生病shēngbìngto fall illHSK 1, n, rank #2542, Easy
shēngbìng(sheng1bing4) T1
  1. 1to fall ill
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March 24, 2026
生病shēngbìng(sheng1bing4)

生病 (shēngbìng) means 'to fall ill' or 'to become sick.' It is commonly used in both spoken and written contexts when describing a state of health that has deteriorated. This term is often used in everyday conversations, medical situations, and when expressing concern for someone's well-being.

Frequency#2542DifficultyEasy
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, showing concern for someone's health is a sign of care and respect. It is common to ask about someone's health when greeting them, reflecting the value placed on well-being.

Memory Tip

Imagine a person (生, shēng) who suddenly feels unwell and their body (病, bìng) starts to act strangely. The character 生 represents life and vitality, while 病 represents illness, helping you visualize the transition from health to sickness.

Meanings of 生病

shēngbìng(sheng1bing4)
1to fall ill
Exercise 1 of 2

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About 生病

生病Simplified
—Strokes
—Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#2542Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L2HSK 3.0L1ElementaryTOCFLL1HSKKL1CEFRA1

Podcast: 生病

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Podcast: 生病

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AI Study Notes for 生病

Quick Contrast

病 (bìng, illness) - use 生病 when emphasizing the action of becoming ill rather than just the state of being ill.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a person (生, shēng) who suddenly feels unwell and their body (病, bìng) starts to act strangely. The character 生 represents life and vitality, while 病 represents illness, helping you visualize the transition from health to sickness.

Usage Notes

Be mindful of the context in which you use 生病; it is typically informal and used in everyday conversations. Common collocations include '生病了' (shēngbìng le) meaning 'have fallen ill.' Avoid confusing it with '生' (shēng) alone, which means 'to give birth' or 'to be born.'

HSK Study Tips

As an HSK Level 2 word, 生病 connects well with other health-related vocabulary such as 医生 (yīshēng - doctor) and 药 (yào - medicine). Focus on practicing it in sentences to discuss health and well-being.

Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, showing concern for someone's health is a sign of care and respect. It is common to ask about someone's health when greeting them, reflecting the value placed on well-being.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 生病 with 感冒 (gǎnmào), which specifically refers to having a cold. For example, saying '我生病是感冒' (Wǒ shēngbìng shì gǎnmào) is incorrect; instead, say '我感冒了' (Wǒ gǎnmào le) to specify having a cold.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 生病

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Component Characters

生shēngto be born
HSK 45 strokes生
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病bìngillness
HSK 110 strokes疒
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Write 生病

生
病

Practice writing 生病 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Grammar Patterns of 生病

生病 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). The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Related grammar lessons6
Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

他____了，今天不上班。

He's sick, so he's not going to work today.

Example Sentences for 生病 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
如果潮湿发霉的建筑令你生病了，霉菌很可能是病因。

rú guǒ cháo shī fā méi de jiàn zhù líng nǐ shēng bìng le， ， méi jūn hěn kě néng shì bìng。

If damp, musty buildings make you ill, mould is probably the cause.
2
“恐怕他生病了。”——“真是遗憾。”

“ “ kǒng pà tā shēng bìng。”——“ le 。”——“ zhēn shì。”

"I'm afraid he's ill." — "I'm sorry to hear that."
3
你没事儿吧？你的脸色很难看，生病了吗？

nǐ méi shì ér bā？ ？ nǐ de liǎn sè hěn nán， kàn ， shēng bìng？

Are you all right? You look terrible. Are you sick?
4
他生病的这些年来，我妈妈一直照料着他。

tā shēng bìng de zhè xiē nián lái， ， wǒ mā mā yī zhí zhào liào zháo。

All the years he was sick my mother had nursed him.
5
你的心真好,你的老邻居生病时你一直照料她.

nǐ de xīn zhēn hǎo, , nǐ de lǎo lín jū shēng bìng shí nǐ yī zhí zhào liào.

It was very noble of you to look after your old neighbour when she was sick.
6
我想请他到家里喝咖啡, 可是孩子们生病了.

wǒ xiǎng qǐng tā dào jiā lǐ hē kā fēi, , kě shì hái zǐ mén shēng bìng.

I would ask him over for coffee, but the children are ill.
7
雪莉带着生病的猫咪去看兽医.

xuě lì dài zháo shēng bìng de māo mī qù kàn shòu yī.

Shelly took the sick cat to a veterinarian.
8
不管什么原因，他只要一生病，脸就会泛红。

bù guǎn shí mó yuán yīn， ， tā zhī yào yī shēng， bìng ， liǎn jiù huì。

Whenever he felt ill from any cause he became red-faced.
9
布莱克先生生病了, 因此她在代他的课.

bù lái kè xiān shēng shēng bìng le, , yīn cǐ tā zài dài tā de.

Mr. Black was ill, so she was taking his class instead.
10
“ 小方, 你倒没生病?

“ “ xiǎo, fāng , nǐ dǎo méi?

" Little Fang, you didn't get sick?

Cultural Notes for 生病

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese culture, showing concern for someone's health is a sign of care and respect. It is common to ask about someone's health when greeting them, reflecting the value placed on well-being.

Frequently Asked Questions about 生病

You can say '你生病了吗?' (Nǐ shēngbìng le ma?), which means 'Are you sick?'