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心病 (xīn bìng) — (figurative) a constant worry or secret concern; something that preys on one's mind

Definition

Figurative: a long-standing worry or secret concern weighing on your mind. Unlike 精神病 ('mental illness'), it has no clinical sense; 心事 is a similar worry but 心病 emphasizes the lasting burden it causes.

noun
(figurative) a constant worry or secret concernsomething that preys on one's mind

Examples

  • ，心病。
    Tā ér zi bù jié hūn, yì zhí shì tā de yí kuài xīn bìng.
    His son not getting married has always been a constant worry for him.
  • 心病。
    Tā zhōng yú bǎ duō nián de xīn bìng gào sù le péng you.
    She finally told her friend about the secret worry she had carried for years.
  • 心病。
    Gōng sī yè jì xià huá chéng le lǎo bǎn de yí kuài xīn bìng.
    The company's declining performance has become a constant worry for the boss.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

心xīnheart
病bìngillness

心 means heart and 病 means illness, so 心病 is a worry that troubles the mind.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 心 comes from a drawing of a heart, now highly stylized.

Open 心 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
疒疒nèsickness
Sound part声符shēngfú
丙
丙bǐng病bìng
Same sound today

病 pairs 疒, a sickness mark, with 丙, which gives the sound; 丙 also means fire, giving a picture of lying feverishly in bed.

Open 病 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Mental Health

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