bìngqíng: 病情 - Medical Condition, State of an Illness

• Keywords: 病情, bingqing, medical condition in Chinese, state of an illness, patient's condition, how to ask about someone's health, Chinese for doctors, describe illness in Chinese, 病情稳定, 病情加重, 病情好转.
• Summary: 病情 (bìngqíng) is a fundamental Chinese term used in medical contexts to describe the specific state or condition of an illness. Unlike just saying someone is “sick,” 病情 provides a status update—is the illness getting better, worse, or is it stable? Understanding this word is essential for navigating healthcare situations, discussing a loved one's health seriously, or following public health news in a Chinese-speaking environment.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): bìngqíng
• Part of Speech: Noun
• HSK Level: HSK 4
• Concise Definition: The state, severity, and progression of a patient's illness.
• In a Nutshell: Think of 病情 (bìngqíng) as the “status report” for a disease. It's not the disease itself, but rather the story of how that disease is behaving in the body at a particular moment. It combines “illness” (病) with “situation” (情) to create a term that doctors, family, and patients use to understand and communicate the dynamic nature of a medical condition.

• 病 (bìng): This character is the root for all things related to sickness. It's made of the “sickness” radical 疒 (nè), which depicts a person lying down in bed, and a phonetic component 丙 (bǐng). If you see the 疒 radical, you can be sure the word has to do with illness or disease.
• 情 (qíng): This character means situation, state, feeling, or emotion. It's composed of the “heart” radical 忄(xīn) on the left and the character 青 (qīng) which provides the sound. The heart radical connects it to internal states and conditions.
• When you combine 病 (illness) and 情 (situation/state), you get 病情 (bìngqíng): literally, the “illness situation,” or more naturally, the state of an illness.

In Chinese culture, health is a serious and often private matter, discussed with care among close relations. The term 病情 (bìngqíng) reflects this serious, focused approach. While in English one might casually ask, “How are you feeling?”, asking about someone's 病情 (bìngqíng) is much more specific and solemn. It implies you are aware of a significant, diagnosed illness and are asking for a factual update on its progression. This contrasts with the Western tendency to focus primarily on the *name* of the disease (the diagnosis, like “cancer” or “diabetes”). 病情 (bìngqíng) puts the emphasis on the dynamic state—the “what's happening now”—which is crucial in both Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and modern medicine as practiced in China. Discussing a family member's 病情 is a way of showing deep, serious concern.

病情 is a high-frequency word in any discussion about health and sickness, from the hospital to the home.

• In the Hospital: This is the most common context. Doctors use it to explain a patient's status to their family. Medical records and reports are filled with descriptions of the 病情.
  • Common collocations:
    • 病情稳定 (bìngqíng wěndìng): The condition is stable.
    • 病情好转 (bìngqíng hǎozhuǎn): The condition is improving.
    • 病情加重 (bìngqíng jiāzhòng): The condition is worsening.
    • 病情恶化 (bìngqíng èhuà): The condition is deteriorating (more severe than 加重).
• Among Family and Friends: You use 病情 when inquiring about someone with a known, serious illness. It shows a level of concern that goes beyond a casual “get well soon.” For example, you would call a friend to ask about their hospitalized father's 病情.
• In the News and Media: News reports use 病情 to update the public on the health of public figures or during epidemics (e.g., “the patient's 病情 is currently stable”).

• Example 1:
  • 医⽣说，病⼈的病情很稳定。
  • Pinyin: Yīshēng shuō, bìngrén de bìngqíng hěn wěndìng.
  • English: The doctor said the patient's condition is very stable.
  • Analysis: A classic and essential phrase to hear from a doctor. It provides reassurance.
• Example 2:
  • 经过治疗，奶奶的病情有了明显的好转。
  • Pinyin: Jīngguò zhìliáo, nǎinai de bìngqíng yǒule míngxiǎn de hǎozhuǎn.
  • English: After treatment, Grandma's condition has clearly improved.
  • Analysis: This sentence uses 好转 (hǎozhuǎn), meaning “to take a turn for the better,” a common partner for 病情.
• Example 3:
  • 不幸的是，他的病情突然加重了。
  • Pinyin: Bùxìng de shì, tā de bìngqíng tūrán jiāzhòng le.
  • English: Unfortunately, his condition suddenly worsened.
  • Analysis: 加重 (jiāzhòng) means “to aggravate” or “worsen.” This is the phrase you hope not to hear.
• Example 4:
  • 家⼈向他隐瞒了真实的病情。
  • Pinyin: Jiārén xiàng tā yǐnmánle zhēnshí de bìngqíng.
  • English: The family concealed the true state of his illness from him.
  • Analysis: This touches on a complex cultural point where families may choose to shield a patient from bad news.
• Example 5:
  • 你能具体描述一下你的病情吗？
  • Pinyin: Nǐ néng jùtǐ miáoshù yīxià nǐ de bìngqíng ma?
  • English: Can you describe your medical condition in detail?
  • Analysis: A question a doctor or nurse would ask a patient to get more information.
• Example 6:
  • 他的病情很复杂，需要专家会诊。
  • Pinyin: Tā de bìngqíng hěn fùzá, xūyào zhuānjiā huìzhěn.
  • English: His medical condition is very complex and requires a consultation with specialists.
  • Analysis: Shows how 病情 can be described with adjectives like 复杂 (fùzá - complex).
• Example 7:
  • 王叔叔的病情怎么样了？
  • Pinyin: Wáng shūshu de bìngqíng zěnmeyàng le?
  • English: How is Uncle Wang's condition?
  • Analysis: A common and respectful way to inquire about the health of an elder who is known to be ill.
• Example 8:
  • 控制病情的发展是⽬前最重要的事。
  • Pinyin: Kòngzhì bìngqíng de fāzhǎn shì mùqián zuì zhòngyào de shì.
  • English: Controlling the development of the condition is the most important thing right now.
  • Analysis: Here, 病情 is the object of the verb 控制 (kòngzhì - to control).
• Example 9:
  • 只要病情不恶化，就有希望。
  • Pinyin: Zhǐyào bìngqíng bù èhuà, jiù yǒu xīwàng.
  • English: As long as the condition doesn't deteriorate, there is hope.
  • Analysis: 恶化 (èhuà) is a stronger word for “worsen” than 加重, often implying a more severe decline.
• Example 10:
  • 我们必须时刻监控他的病情变化。
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen bìxū shíkè jiānkòng tā de bìngqíng biànhuà.
  • English: We must constantly monitor the changes in his condition.
  • Analysis: This sentence highlights the dynamic nature of 病情, which can change (变化 - biànhuà).

• 病情 (bìngqíng) vs. 病 (bìng): This is the most common mistake for learners.
  • 病 (bìng) is the illness itself. (e.g., 我得了感冒病 - “I have the illness of a cold,” though usually just 我感冒了 is said).
  • 病情 (bìngqíng) is the *state* of the illness.
  • Incorrect: 我的病情是感冒。(Wǒ de bìngqíng shì gǎnmào.) - “My condition is a cold.” This is grammatically awkward.
  • Correct: 我感冒了，病情不严重。(Wǒ gǎnmào le, bìngqíng bù yánzhòng.) - “I have a cold, and its condition isn't serious.”
• 病情 (bìngqíng) vs. 身体 (shēntǐ):
  • 身体 (shēntǐ) refers to the body or one's general health. You can ask a healthy person, “你身体好吗?” (Nǐ shēntǐ hǎo ma? - Are you in good health?).
  • 病情 (bìngqíng) is only used when there is a specific illness. You would never ask a healthy person about their 病情. Doing so would be strange and alarming.
• Formality: Remember that 病情 is a formal and serious term. For a minor cold or headache, you would just say “我头疼” (wǒ tóuténg) or “我有点不舒服” (wǒ yǒudiǎn bù shūfu). Using 病情 for something trivial would sound overly dramatic.

• 病 (bìng) - The general word for disease or illness. 病情 describes the state of a 病.
• 病人 (bìngrén) - A patient; the person who has the 病情.
• 看病 (kànbìng) - To see a doctor (literally “to look at an illness”).
• 生病 (shēngbìng) - The verb “to get sick.”
• 症状 (zhèngzhuàng) - Symptoms. The individual signs (like fever, cough) that constitute the 病情.
• 诊断 (zhěnduàn) - A diagnosis. The doctor analyzes the 病情 and 症状 to give a 诊断.
• 好转 (hǎozhuǎn) - To improve. A common description for 病情.
• 恶化 (èhuà) - To deteriorate; worsen. A strong, negative description for 病情.
• 稳定 (wěndìng) - Stable. The ideal state for a serious 病情 during treatment.
• 健康 (jiànkāng) - Health; healthy. The state of not having a negative 病情.