病 meaning and stroke order
Illness; disease; to fall ill
How to write 病, stroke by stroke
10 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 病
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- illness
- disease
- to fall ill
- defect
How 病 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Sickness.
疒 gives the meaning and 丙 hints at the sound.
Radical: 疒 (sickness), shared by 127 characters on this site.
How to remember 病
The sickness radical 疒 looks like a person lying in a bed, and 丙 (bǐng) inside gives the sound. Picture someone stuck in bed saying "bìng" because they are ill.
病 (bìng) is used as a noun for illness and as a verb meaning to be sick, and it appears in many words like 生病 (shēngbìng) and 看病 (kànbìng). It can also mean a fault or defect, as in 毛病 (máobìng). Example: 我生病了。(Wǒ shēngbìng le.) I am sick.
Common mistake: Learners often say 我病 to mean "I am sick," but natural speech uses 我病了 (wǒ bìng le) or 我生病了 (wǒ shēngbìng le). Also keep the fourth tone in bìng, and do not confuse it with its phonetic 丙 (bǐng), which is third tone.
Common words with 病
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 病人 | bìngrén | sick person; patient | HSK 1 |
| 生病 | shēngbìng | to fall ill | HSK 1 |
| 看病 | kànbìng | to visit a doctor; to see a patient | HSK 1 |
| 毛病 | máobìng | fault; defect | HSK 3 |
| 病毒 | bìngdú | virus | HSK 5 |
| 疾病 | jíbìng | disease; sickness; ailment | HSK 6 |
| 心脏病 | xīnzàngbìng | heart disease | HSK 6 |
| 病房 | bìngfáng | ward (of a hospital); sickroom | HSK 6 |
| 病情 | bìngqíng | state of an illness; patient's condition | HSK 6 |
| 治病 | zhì bìng | to treat an illness | HSK 6 |
| 发病 | fābìng | (of an illness) to occur; (of a person) to get sick; to fall ill | HSK 6 |
| 精神病 | jīngshénbìng | mental disorder; psychosis | HSK 7-9 |
| 糖尿病 | tángniàobìng | diabetes; diabetes mellitus | HSK 7-9 |
| 传染病 | chuánrǎnbìng | infectious disease; contagious disease; communicable disease | HSK 7-9 |
病 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 病
How many strokes are in 病?
病 is written with 10 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 病 mean?
病 (bìng) means illness; disease; to fall ill. A common word with it is 病人 (bìngrén), meaning "sick person; patient".
How do you pronounce 病?
病 is pronounced bìng, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 病?
The radical of 病 is 疒, which carries the idea of "sickness". Dictionaries list 病 under this radical.
Is 病 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 病 is part of the HSK 1 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 1.
What is the difference between 看病 and 看病人?
看病 (kànbìng) usually means to go see a doctor, or for a doctor to treat patients. 看病人 (kàn bìngrén) means to visit a sick person, like a friend in the hospital.
Does 毛病 always mean an illness?
No. 毛病 (máobìng) often means a fault, a bad habit, or a problem with a machine. For example, 我的电脑有毛病 (wǒ de diànnǎo yǒu máobìng) means "my computer has a problem."