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病 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
病bìngillnessHSK 1, n, 10 strokes, radical 疒, rank #826, Easy
病bìng>场[cháng]HSK 1, n, 10 strokes, radical 疒, rank #826, Easy
病bìngdiseaseHSK 1, n, 10 strokes, radical 疒, rank #826, Easy
病bìngto fall illHSK 1, n, 10 strokes, radical 疒, rank #826, Easy
病bìngdefectHSK 1, n, 10 strokes, radical 疒, rank #826, Easy
病bìngsickness, illness, diseaseHSK 1, n, 10 strokes, radical 疒, rank #826, Easy
bìng(bing4) T4
  1. 1illness
  2. 2>场[cháng]
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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

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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.

Memory Mnemonic

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.

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.

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.

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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Etymology of 病

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 疒 represents the meaning and 丙 represents the sound.

Memory Hint

sickness

Semantic (meaning)疒
+
Phonetic (sound)丙
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
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?

Write 病

病

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 6 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.

Related grammar lessons6
Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

他生____了，今天不上班。

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

Example Sentences for 病 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
我坚决不向病毒屈服。

wǒ jiān jué bù xiàng bìng dú qū fú。

I was determined not to succumb to the virus.
2
这种疾病传播的条件已经成熟。

zhè zhǒng jí bìng chuán bō de tiáo jiàn yǐ jīng chéng shú。

The conditions are ripe for the spread of disease.
3
该国内地的很多地区无法即时报告艾滋病病例。

gāi guó nèi dì de hěn duō dì qū wú fǎ jí shí bào gào ài zī bìng bìng lì。

Many areas in the country'sinterior are unable to report Aids cases immediately.
4
传染病正在遭受洪灾的很多灾民中蔓延。

chuán rǎn bìng zhèng zài zāo shòu hóng zāi de hěn duō zāi mín zhōng màn yán。

Infectious diseases are spreading among many of the flood victims.
5
艾滋病病毒携带者的官方数字并不高。

ài zī bìng bìng dú xié dài zhě de guān fāng shù zì bìng bù gāo。

The official number of people carrying the AIDS virus is low.
6
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.
7
你可能得了职业性皮肤病。

nǐ kě néng dé le zhí yè xìng pí fū bìng。

You might be having an occupationally related skin problem.
8
我知道你正不知所措，是在病急乱投医。

wǒ zhī dào nǐ zhèng bù zhī suǒ cuò， ， shì zài bìng jí luàn tóu。

I know that you'refloundering around, trying to grasp at any straw.
9
一旦你改掉神经脆弱的毛病，便可一往无前。

yī dàn nǐ gǎi diào shén jīng cuì ruò de máo bìng， ， biàn kě yī wǎng wú。

When you've got over your squeamishness, there will be no stopping you.
10
安排一下把病历转给你的新医生的事宜。

ān pái yī xià bǎ bìng lì zhuǎn gěi nǐ de xīn yī shēng de shì yí。

Arrange for the transfer of medical records to your new doctor.
Exercise 1 of 1

Reorder the Sentence

I was determined not to succumb to the virus.

Tap tokens to build the sentence

Cultural Notes for 病

🏮Cultural insight

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.

Word Family of 病

Words Containing This Character20
病bìngillness
病人bìngrénsick person
疾病jíbìngdisease
病毒bìngdúvirus
生病shēngbìngto fall ill
毛病máobìngfault
心脏病xīnzàngbìngheart disease心臟病
病例(medical) case
病情bìngqíngstate of an illness
艾滋病àizībìngAIDS (loanword)
精神病jīngshénbìngmental disorder
发病fābìngonset發病
糖尿病tángniàobìngdiabetes
病房bìngfángsickroom
神经病mental disorder神經病
病变lesion病變
病理pathology
看病kànbìngto visit a doctor
传染病chuánrǎnbìnginfectious disease傳染病
病历medical record病歷
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 病 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 病

'To get sick' is expressed as '生病' (shēng bìng).