quèzhěn: 确诊 - To Confirm a Diagnosis, Confirmed Case

• Keywords: 确诊, quezhen, confirm diagnosis Chinese, confirmed case Chinese, how to say diagnosed in Chinese, medical Chinese, COVID-19 Chinese terms, 确诊病例, to diagnose in Chinese
• Summary: Learn the crucial Chinese medical term 确诊 (quèzhěn), meaning “to confirm a diagnosis” or “confirmed case.” This page breaks down the characters 确 and 诊, explains its vital role in modern contexts like the COVID-19 pandemic, and contrasts it with the general term for “diagnose.” With 10+ practical example sentences, you'll master how to use 确诊 (quèzhěn) correctly when discussing health and official medical situations in Mandarin Chinese.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): quèzhěn
• Part of Speech: Verb
• HSK Level: HSK 5
• Concise Definition: To make a definite diagnosis; to confirm a medical case.
• In a Nutshell: 确诊 (quèzhěn) is the final, official confirmation of an illness by a medical authority. Think of it as the moment a doctor moves from “we think you have…” to “it is confirmed that you have…”. It carries a sense of certainty and finality, removing any doubt about the diagnosis.

• 确 (què): This character means “certain,” “definite,” or “sure.” The radical on the left is 石 (shí), which means “stone,” suggesting something solid, real, and unchangeable.
• 诊 (zhěn): This character means “to examine a patient” or “to diagnose.” The radical on the left is 讠(yán), which means “speech” or “words.” This points to the traditional method of diagnosis which involves a doctor asking the patient questions about their condition.
• Together, 确 (què) + 诊 (zhěn) literally means “a certain diagnosis” or “to make a diagnosis certain.” It perfectly captures the idea of confirming a previously suspected illness.

The term 确诊 (quèzhěn) gained global prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic, as news reports worldwide tracked the number of 确诊病例 (quèzhěn bìnglì), or “confirmed cases.” This highlights its role as a formal, official, and statistical term. In a Western context, a person might casually say, “I was diagnosed with the flu.” The focus is on the individual's experience. In Chinese, 确诊 (quèzhěn) is more clinical and carries the weight of an official verdict. While you can say 我被确诊了 (Wǒ bèi quèzhěn le - “I was confirmed to have a diagnosis”), it's often used by institutions (hospitals, news media, government) to report facts. The term signifies the transition from uncertainty and suspicion (疑似, yísì) to a concrete fact that requires a specific, often state-mandated, course of action, especially for contagious diseases. It reflects a societal view where a formal diagnosis is not just a personal health matter, but a public datum.

• In Medical and News Contexts: This is its primary and most common usage. It's used in hospitals, on medical reports, and in news broadcasts to report on diseases, especially during epidemics. It's a formal and precise term.
• In Internet Slang (Figuratively): In recent years, younger generations have adopted 确诊 (quèzhěn) humorously to “diagnose” themselves with non-medical conditions. For example, someone might joke they have been “diagnosed with terminal laziness” (确诊懒癌晚期 - quèzhěn lǎn'ái wǎnqī) or “a compulsive need to buy things” (确诊购物癖 - quèzhěn gòuwùpǐ). This usage is highly informal and playful.

• Example 1:
  • 医生昨天确诊了我的病情。
  • Pinyin: Yīshēng zuótiān quèzhěn le wǒ de bìngqíng.
  • English: The doctor confirmed my medical condition yesterday.
  • Analysis: This is a standard, neutral use of the verb. The doctor is the one performing the action of “confirming the diagnosis.”
• Example 2:
  • 他最终被确诊为癌症。
  • Pinyin: Tā zuìzhōng bèi quèzhěn wéi áizhèng.
  • English: He was eventually diagnosed with cancer.
  • Analysis: The passive structure with 被 (bèi) is very common, mirroring the English “was diagnosed.” The focus is on the person receiving the diagnosis.
• Example 3:
  • 今天的报告显示，新增了五例确诊病例。
  • Pinyin: Jīntiān de bàogào xiǎnshì, xīnzēng le wǔ lì quèzhěn bìnglì.
  • English: Today's report shows there are five new confirmed cases.
  • Analysis: Here, 确诊 acts as an adjective modifying 病例 (bìnglì - case). 确诊病例 is an extremely common set phrase.
• Example 4:
  • 拿到确诊通知后，她反而冷静了下来。
  • Pinyin: Nádào quèzhěn tōngzhī hòu, tā fǎn'ér lěngjìng le xiàlái.
  • English: After receiving the confirmation of her diagnosis, she unexpectedly calmed down.
  • Analysis: 确诊 is used here as a noun-like attribute for 通知 (tōngzhī - notice). This shows its versatility in forming compound nouns.
• Example 5:
  • 在确诊之前，他只是一个疑似病例。
  • Pinyin: Zài quèzhěn zhīqián, tā zhǐshì yíge yísì bìnglì.
  • English: Before the diagnosis was confirmed, he was just a suspected case.
  • Analysis: This sentence perfectly contrasts 确诊 (confirmed) with 疑似 (yísì - suspected), a key distinction in medical reporting.
• Example 6:
  • 核酸检测是确诊新冠病毒的主要手段。
  • Pinyin: Hésuān jiǎncè shì quèzhěn xīnguān bìngdú de zhǔyào shǒuduàn.
  • English: Nucleic acid testing is the primary method for confirming a COVID-19 diagnosis.
  • Analysis: This demonstrates how 确诊 is used as a verb in a more technical explanation.
• Example 7:
  • 你需要做更多检查才能确诊。
  • Pinyin: Nǐ xūyào zuò gèng duō jiǎnchá cáinéng quèzhěn.
  • English: You need to do more tests before a diagnosis can be confirmed.
  • Analysis: This highlights that 确诊 is the final step after a process of examination (检查).
• Example 8:
  • 全世界都在关注每日的确诊人数。
  • Pinyin: Quán shìjiè dōu zài guānzhù měirì de quèzhěn rénshù.
  • English: The whole world is paying attention to the daily number of confirmed cases.
  • Analysis: 确诊人数 (quèzhěn rénshù - number of confirmed cases) is another very common and useful collocation.
• Example 9:
  • 网上的人都说我确诊了“选择困难症”。
  • Pinyin: Wǎngshàng de rén dōu shuō wǒ quèzhěn le “xuǎnzé kùnnán zhèng”.
  • English: Everyone online says I’ve been “diagnosed with analysis paralysis (lit. choice-difficulty-syndrome).”
  • Analysis: This is an example of the modern, informal, and humorous internet slang usage.
• Example 10:
  • 什么时候才能拿到确诊结果？
  • Pinyin: Shénme shíhou cáinéng nádào quèzhěn jiéguǒ?
  • English: When can I get the confirmed diagnosis results?
  • Analysis: A practical question a patient might ask. 确诊结果 (quèzhěn jiéguǒ - confirmed diagnosis result) is a clear and common phrase.

• 确诊 (quèzhěn) vs. 诊断 (zhěnduàn): This is the most critical distinction.
  • 诊断 (zhěnduàn) is the process of diagnosing. A doctor performs a 诊断 to figure out what's wrong. (e.g., 医生正在给我诊断 - The doctor is diagnosing me now.)
  • 确诊 (quèzhěn) is the result of that process; it is the final confirmation.
  • Mistake: Saying “医生确诊我” (Yīshēng quèzhěn wǒ) is incomplete. You need to say what was confirmed. Correct: “医生确诊我得了流感” (Yīshēng quèzhěn wǒ déle liúgǎn - The doctor confirmed I have the flu). If you just want to say “the doctor diagnosed me,” it's better to use 诊断 (zhěnduàn) or simply say “医生说我…” (The doctor said I…).
• Not a Casual Term: While English speakers might say “He diagnosed the problem with the car,” you would almost never use 确诊 (quèzhěn) for non-medical situations, except in the specific, humorous internet slang context mentioned above. It's a formal, clinical word.

• 诊断 (zhěnduàn) - The general verb “to diagnose” or the noun “diagnosis.” It describes the entire process, while 确诊 is the final confirmation.
• 病例 (bìnglì) - A medical case or record. Often combined to form 确诊病例.
• 疑似 (yísì) - To suspect; a suspected case. This is the stage before a case is 确诊.
• 阳性 (yángxìng) - Positive (on a test). A positive test result often leads to a 确诊.
• 阴性 (yīnxìng) - Negative (on a test). The opposite of 阳性.
• 症状 (zhèngzhuàng) - Symptom(s). Doctors evaluate symptoms to make a diagnosis.
• 感染 (gǎnrǎn) - To infect; infection. One can be infected (感染) before being officially diagnosed (确诊).
• 治疗 (zhìliáo) - To treat; medical treatment. This is the step that typically follows a 确诊.
• 病情 (bìngqíng) - A patient's medical condition; the state of an illness.