jíbìng: 疾病 - Disease, Illness, Sickness

• Keywords: jibing, 疾病, Chinese for disease, illness in Chinese, sickness in Chinese, how to say sick in Chinese, Chinese medical terms, learn Chinese health, HSK 4 vocabulary.
• Summary: Learn how to use 疾病 (jíbìng), the formal Chinese word for 'disease' or 'illness.' This guide covers its meaning, cultural context in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), and practical usage. From discussing a serious medical condition like 'heart disease' (心脏疾病) to understanding public health announcements, you'll master this essential HSK 4 term. Perfect for beginners learning medical or health-related vocabulary in Mandarin Chinese.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): jíbìng
• Part of Speech: Noun
• HSK Level: HSK 4
• Concise Definition: A disease, illness, or sickness.
• In a Nutshell: 疾病 (jíbìng) is the formal, clinical term for a disease or medical condition. Think of it as the word a doctor would write in a diagnosis, or what you'd see in a news article about public health. While you might casually say you're sick using a different phrase, 疾病 refers to the specific ailment itself. It's more serious and scientific than just “not feeling well.”

• 疾 (jí): This character's original pictograph shows a person struck by an arrow (矢). It conveys a sense of a sudden, urgent affliction or a fast-moving illness. It can mean “illness” or “swift/rapid.”
• 病 (bìng): This character is a classic example of a phono-semantic compound. The outer radical 疒 (nè) is the “sickness radical” and is found in many characters related to ailments. The inner part, 丙 (bǐng), provides the phonetic sound. The character represents the general state or condition of being ill.
• When combined, 疾 (jí) and 病 (bìng) form 疾病 (jíbìng), a comprehensive term that covers all types of diseases, from acute (sudden) to chronic (long-term).

In Chinese culture, the concept of 疾病 is deeply influenced by Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), which offers a different perspective than modern Western medicine. While Western medicine often views disease as an attack by an external pathogen (like a virus or bacteria), TCM frequently understands 疾病 as a result of internal imbalance. This imbalance could be between yin and yang (阴阳) or a blockage in the flow of life energy, known as qi (气). For example, someone might attribute a 疾病 to “excessive internal heat” (上火 - shànghuǒ) or “dampness” (湿气 - shīqì), concepts that don't have direct equivalents in Western medical terminology. This means that when discussing a 疾病, the conversation might touch upon lifestyle, diet, and emotional state as primary causes, rather than just focusing on a microorganism. While this view is more traditional, it still strongly influences daily life, diet choices, and how people talk about their health, even when they also use modern medicine.

疾病 (jíbìng) is used in specific, often formal, contexts. You won't typically hear someone say “我有一个疾病” (Wǒ yǒu yí ge jíbìng - I have a disease) in casual chat.

• Formal Medical Settings: This is the standard term used in hospitals, by doctors, and on medical documents. A doctor might announce a diagnosis using this word.
  • e.g., “诊断结果是一种罕见的皮肤疾病。” (The diagnosis is a rare skin disease.)
• Public Health and News: It's used in media, government announcements, and scientific articles when discussing public health issues, epidemics, or medical research.
  • e.g., “政府正在采取措施预防这种疾病的传播。” (The government is taking measures to prevent the spread of this disease.)
• Describing Categories of Illness: It is often used as a suffix to classify types of diseases.
  • 心脏疾病 (xīnzàng jíbìng): Heart disease
  • 精神疾病 (jīngshén jíbìng): Mental illness/disorder
  • 慢性疾病 (mànxìng jíbìng): Chronic disease
  • 传染性疾病 (chuánrǎnxìng jíbìng): Infectious disease

The word carries a neutral-to-negative connotation, as it refers to something undesirable, but it is used in a factual, clinical way.

• Example 1:
  • 这种疾病在老年人中很常见。
  • Pinyin: Zhè zhǒng jíbìng zài lǎoniánrén zhōng hěn chángjiàn.
  • English: This disease is very common among the elderly.
  • Analysis: A neutral, factual statement you might read in a health pamphlet.
• Example 2:
  • 医生说我需要改变生活方式来预防疾病。
  • Pinyin: Yīshēng shuō wǒ xūyào gǎibiàn shēnghuó fāngshì lái yùfáng jíbìng.
  • English: The doctor said I need to change my lifestyle to prevent disease.
  • Analysis: Here, 疾病 is used as a general term for “disease” in the context of prevention.
• Example 3:
  • 心脏疾病是全球头号杀手。
  • Pinyin: Xīnzàng jíbìng shì quánqiú tóuhào shāshǒu.
  • English: Heart disease is the number one killer worldwide.
  • Analysis: Shows how 疾病 is used as a suffix to name a specific category of illness.
• Example 4:
  • 很多精神疾病是可以治疗的。
  • Pinyin: Hěn duō jīngshén jíbìng shì kěyǐ zhìliáo de.
  • English: Many mental illnesses are treatable.
  • Analysis: Demonstrates the use for non-physical conditions.
• Example 5:
  • 保持良好的卫生习惯可以减少疾病的风险。
  • Pinyin: Bǎochí liánghǎo de wèishēng xíguàn kěyǐ jiǎnshǎo jíbìng de fēngxiǎn.
  • English: Maintaining good hygiene habits can reduce the risk of disease.
  • Analysis: Another example of using 疾病 in the context of public health and prevention.
• Example 6:
  • 这种疾病的早期症状不明显。
  • Pinyin: Zhè zhǒng jíbìng de zǎoqī zhèngzhuàng bù míngxiǎn.
  • English: The early symptoms of this disease are not obvious.
  • Analysis: 疾病 is the condition, while 症状 (zhèngzhuàng) are the symptoms. This shows how they are used together.
• Example 7:
  • 遗传疾病的研究取得了很大进展。
  • Pinyin: Yíchuán jíbìng de yánjiū qǔdéle hěn dà jìnzhǎn.
  • English: Research into genetic diseases has made great progress.
  • Analysis: A formal, scientific context.
• Example 8:
  • 他与疾病斗争了很多年。
  • Pinyin: Tā yǔ jíbìng dòuzhēng le hěn duō nián.
  • English: He battled with illness for many years.
  • Analysis: A slightly more literary or narrative use, personifying the illness as something to fight.
• Example 9:
  • 这种罕见的疾病影响了全球不到一千人。
  • Pinyin: Zhè zhǒng hǎnjiàn de jíbìng yǐngxiǎng le quánqiú bú dào yī qiān rén.
  • English: This rare disease affects fewer than a thousand people worldwide.
  • Analysis: Used to talk about a specific, named condition.
• Example 10:
  • 如果不及时治疗，小问题也可能发展成严重的疾病。
  • Pinyin: Rúguǒ bù jíshí zhìliáo, xiǎo wèntí yě kěnéng fāzhǎn chéng yánzhòng de jíbìng.
  • English: If not treated in time, small problems can also develop into serious diseases.
  • Analysis: This sentence clearly contrasts a minor “problem” with a serious “disease.”

The most common mistake for learners is confusing 疾病 (jíbìng) with 生病 (shēng bìng).

• 疾病 (jíbìng) is a noun. It is the name of the condition, “a disease.”
  • Correct: 他有一种慢性疾病。(Tā yǒu yì zhǒng mànxìng jíbìng.) - He has a chronic disease.
  • Incorrect: 他疾病了。(Tā jíbìng le.) - This is grammatically wrong, like saying “He diseased.”
• 生病 (shēng bìng) is a verb-object phrase. It means “to get sick” or “to be sick.” It describes the action or state of falling ill.
  • Correct: 他生病了。(Tā shēng bìng le.) - He got sick.
  • Incorrect: 他有一种生病。(Tā yǒu yì zhǒng shēng bìng.) - This is grammatically wrong, like saying “He has a to-get-sick.”

In short: You have a 疾病 (jíbìng), and because of that, you are 生病 (shēng bìng). Another point of confusion is with 不舒服 (bù shūfu), which means “uncomfortable” or “not feeling well.”

• 不舒服 (bù shūfu) is a subjective feeling. You can feel unwell without having a formal 疾病.
• Example: 我今天有点不舒服，可能感冒了。(Wǒ jīntiān yǒudiǎn bù shūfu, kěnéng gǎnmào le.) - I feel a bit unwell today, maybe I caught a cold. (A cold is technically a 疾病, but here the focus is on the feeling).

• 生病 (shēng bìng) - The common verb for “to get sick”; describes the state of being ill.
• 病人 (bìngrén) - A patient; a person who is sick.
• 病毒 (bìngdú) - Virus; a common cause of a 疾病.
• 症状 (zhèngzhuàng) - Symptom(s); the signs of a 疾病.
• 健康 (jiànkāng) - Health; healthy. The opposite of being in a state of 疾病.
• 传染病 (chuánrǎnbìng) - Infectious/contagious disease; a specific type of 疾病.
• 医生 (yīshēng) - Doctor; the professional who diagnoses and treats a 疾病.
• 医院 (yīyuàn) - Hospital; the place where a serious 疾病 is treated.
• 不舒服 (bù shūfu) - Uncomfortable; the general feeling of being unwell, which may or may not be caused by a 疾病.
• 治疗 (zhìliáo) - To treat (an illness); the medical response to a 疾病.